ADELE  HAMILTON 


Adele    Hamilton 


BY 

DELIA  BUFORD  ELLIOTT 


NEW  YORK  AND  WASHINGTON 

THE   NEALE    PUBLISHING   COMPANY 
1907 


Copyright,  1907,  by 
THE  NEALE  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 


TO  MY  BEST  FRIEND 

MR.  THOMAS  NELSON  PAGE 


222S40S 


CONTENTS. 

I — LEAVING  HOME 11 

II — IN  CALIFORNIA :.~ 20 

III— MAMMY'S  TRIALS 26 

IV — MAKING  A  LIVING 32 

V — DESPONDENT  DAYS 43 

VI — A  CONFESSION 51 

VII — BERTRAM  RANCH 55 

VIII — MOURNING  FOR  THE  PRESIDENT*.  .  70 

IX— THE  CONVICT 75 

X — ROSE'S  DISAPPEARANCE  .... 84 

XI— THE  DARKEST  HOUR 98 

XII — ADELE  HELPS  SAN  FRANCISCO..  109 

XHI— CHRISTMAS  EVE  . .  123 


ADELE   HAMILTON 


CHAPTER   I 

LEAVING   HOME 

MRS.  HAMILTON  sat  in  the  library,  closely 
examining  business  papers.  She  was 
dressed  in  deep  mourning;  and  her  hair 
smoothed  low  over  her  white  ears  and 
blue-veined  temples,  reminded  one  of  black 
satin. 

Her  husband  had  engaged  in  cotton 
planting  on  too  extensive  a  scale ;  and  now 
every  one  said,  "If  he  could  have  lived 
only  a  little  longer,  he  would  have  come  out 
way  ahead !  But  as  it  is,  his  family  is  left 
with  almost  nothing!" 

It  was  the  knowledge  of  this  that  caused 
Mrs.  Hamilton  to  determine  to  go  far  away 
with  her  five  little  girls — to  go  far  away 
and  seek  a  support  for  them  by  her  own 
efforts. 

As  she  sat  alone  this  afternoon  the  door 
at  the  other  end  of  the  library  opened,  and 
11 


12  'Adele  Hamilton 

an  old  black  woman  entered.  She  was 
Mammy  Harriet;  and  as  she  approached 
her  mistress  her  tone  was  persuasive. 

"Yes,  I've  decided  to  go,  Mammy.  Noth- 
ing can  alter  my  determination.  There  will 
be  little  left  after  the  debts  are  paid.  We 
are  outcasts  now,  and  I  can  never  live  here 
again,"  said  Mrs.  Hamilton  mournfully. 

With  a  protecting  movement,  Mammy 
drew  nearer  to  her,  and  said : 

"Aw,  now,  honey,  doan'  take  on  so.  Yo' 
's  still  got  yo'  ole  niggah.  Yo'  has  to  leab 
me  now;  but  I's  boun'  to  fin'  yo'  some  day. 
Nothin'  ain'  gwine  sep'rate  us.  De  war 
couldn'  do  it;  an'  nothin'  else  ain'  gwine 
to.  An',  honey,  yo'  's  still  got  dem  li'P  gals 
to  lub  an'  to  lub  yo'." 

"Mammy,  do  you  know  what  I'm  going 
to  do?"  interrupted  Mrs.  Hamilton. 

"Dat's  hard  to  tell,  honey,"  answered 
Mammy  in  bewilderment,  shaking  her  head. 

"I  am  going  to  California,  where  work 
is  no  disgrace,  and  where  everybody  has 
an  equal  chance;  and  I  am  going  to  make 
a  living  for  myself  and  little  girls,"  fin- 
ish od  Mrs.  Hamilton  with  much  determin- 
ation. 


Leaving  Home  13 

Mammy  tossed  her  head  and  gave  a  con- 
temptuous laugh. 

"Dem  li'l'  han's  ain'  so  much  ez  b'en 
s'iled,  let  'lone  yo'  talk  'bout  workin'.  Yo' 
ain'  never  had  to  put  'way  yo  clo'es  even. 
"What  work  yo'  gwine  do,  I'd  lek  to  know, 
honey?" 

"I  have  the  will,  and  the  way  will  be 
provided;  but  I  now  wish  that  Adele  had 
been  a  boy." 

Entering  just  in  time  to  hear  the  last 
sentence,  Adele,  a  girl  of  sixteen,  came 
close  to  her  mother.  She  was  rather  be- 
low the  medium  height,  and  just  prettily 
plump,  and  as  she  threw  her  arms  around 
her  mother's  neck  one  could  not  help  notic- 
ing her  small,  white,  dimpled  hands.  Her 
eyes  were  large  and  gray;  and  her  dark 
brown  hair  was  combed  straight  back  from 
her  high,  fair  forehead  and  coiled  in  a  loose 
knot  at  the  back  of  her  well-shaped  head. 

*  *  I  'low  Miss  Lady  '11  be  wuth  all  de  boys, 
Mistress;  an'  dis  puts  me  in  min'  o'  de 
time  when  yo'  li'l'  white  Rose  was  'bout 
a  week  ole.  Mars  Jeems,  he  come  home 
dat  night,  smilin'  to  hisse'f,  an'  said  dat 
ole  Miss  Betsy  Trainer  tole  'im  dat  he  sut- 


14  Adele  Hamilton 

tinly  had  de  'po'  man's  leg'cy— a  houseful 
o'  gals.'  Miss  'Zynka,  she  say,  'Uncle 
Jim,  why  didn'  you  tell  her  dat  she  had  a 
ole  maid's  leg'cy  an'  a  mighty  slim  one  at 
datf '  "  concluded  Mammy,  trying  hard  to 
divert  her  mistress  and  bring  back  a  smile 
to  her  sad  face. 

But  Mrs.  Hamilton  heard  little  of  what 
was  being  said.  Her  eyes  were  filled  with 
tears,  and  her  thoughts  had  reverted  to  the 
time  when  her  youngest  daughter  was  a 
tiny  baby,  five  years  before;  and  how 
happy  were  those  days,  those  days  when 
every  wish  was  gratified. 

The  Hamilton  home  was  a  grand  old 
Southern  mansion  of  twenty-one  rooms. 
Mrs.  Hamilton  had  lived  here  a  long  time, 
and  was  warmly  attached  to  the  place  and 
to  the  servants.  She  now  threw  her  arms 
about  Mammy  and  said: 

"It  breaks  my  heart  to  leave  you,  Mam- 
my; and  we  are  too  poor  to  take  you  with 
us;  but  I  hope  to  send  for  you  some  day." 

"An'  ef  I  dies,  I'll  b'long  to  yo'  in  de 
Home  up  yonder,  honey,"  answered  Mam- 
my in  a  comforting  way. 

Then,  taking  her  mother's  hand,  Adele 


Leaving  Home  15 

quietly  drew  her  from  the  house.  They 
went  over  the  garden.  The  crepe  myrtle 
had  been  stripped  of  its  blossoms,  and  was 
beautiful  no  longer.  Adele  reached  out  her 
hand  and  plucked  a  leaf  from  the  magno- 
lia tree  as  she  passed.  Then  up  through 
the  orchard  and  across  the  rye  lot  they 
went,  saying  "good-by"  to  everything.  But 
when  they  reached  the  family  burying- 
ground,  another  was  before  them;  for  old 
Jupo,  Mr.  Hamilton's  favorite  hunter,  lay 
on  his  master's  grave.  At  their  approach 
he  raised  himself  on  his  haunches  and 
bayed  piteously.  Here  was  the  grave  of  a 
brother  who  had  died  abroad  and  was 
brought  home  to  be  buried  near  the  rest. 
Over  there  was  another,  who  had  been  the 
pride  of  the  family,  a  college  graduate,  one 
skilled  in  languages,  a  talented  lawyer. 
Mrs.  Hamilton  sighed  and  turned  to  a  new- 
made  mound,  and  laid  down  a  bunch  of 
shining  immortelles,  saying  a  tender  fare- 
well; but  there  was  no  response  save  the 
soughing  and  sighing  of  the  wind  in  the 
pine. 

They  walked  on  and  on;  and  as  they 
passed  the  cow-pen  the  little  brown  pet 


16  Adele  Hamilton 

"Peggotty"  thrust  her  head  expectantly 
through  the  bars.  They  went  next  to  the 
stable,  and  rubbed  and  patted  the  neck  of 
"Major,"  and  he  whinnied  and  stamped, 
impatient  to  be  off  on  a  fox-hunt.  They 
took  a  last  look  at  the  carriage  horses; 
then  went  up  to  the  "quarters"  and  shook 
hands  with  all  the  negroes — men,  women, 
and  children.  As  they  neared  Aunt  Susan's 
cabin  they  heard  Silvia,  a  negro  girl,  say : 
"Aun'  Susan,  whar  yo'  gwine?"  "I  am' 
gwine  nowhar.  I's  done  b'en  whar  I 
gwine,"  answered  Aunt  Susan  shortly. 

Adele  and  her  mother  chose  the  old,  fa- 
miliar, well-beaten  path  back  to  the  house, 
and  Mammy  seated  her  mistress  in  a 
rocker  before  a  roaring  hickory  fire,  took 
off  her  shoes,  warmed  her  feet,  and  placed 
on  them  a  pair  of  little  slippers;  grum- 
bling all  the  while  in  an  undertone  about 
"de  chile's  gwine  up  to  de  quarters  an' 
cotchin'  'er  deaf  o'  cold — all  fV  dem  fool 
niggahs." 

Being  unable  to  sleep  that  night,  Adele 
got  up,  dressed  herself,  and  seeing  a  faint 
light  in  Mammy's  cabin,  stole  quietly  out 


Leaving  Home  17 

of  the  house,  ran  across  the  back  yard,  and 
peeped  in  at  the  window. 

There  were  Mammy's  snow-white  bed,  a 
long  shelf  to  one  side  of  the  chimney,  with 
odd  pieces  of  china  and  old  Delft  ware, 
long  since  discarded  by  her  mistress.  Over 
the  mantel  hung  the  key-basket  (for  Mam- 
my always  carried  the  keys)  and  the  old 
dinner-horn.  Swinging  from  a  rafter  were 
long  strings  of  red  peppers  from  Mam- 
my's own  garden,  and  Mammy  herself, 
Mammy  who  had  been  so  brave  and  cheer- 
ful when  near  her  mistress,  knelt  there  in 
the  firelight,  and  Adele  heard  these  words : 

"Good  Lord,  tek  good  keer  o'  my  chile 
an'  'er  li'P  lambs;  an'  doan'  le'  no  harm 
come  to  'em.  He'p  me  to  git  dar,  too,  to 
take  all  de  hard  part  off  o'  'em;  'ka'ze  T's 
use'  to  it  'an'  dey  ain'." 

Here  Mammy  broke  down  and  cried 
aloud ;  and  Adele,  in  tears,  slipped  back  to 
the  house,  went  across  the  portico  on  tip- 
toe, into  her  room  and  into  bed,  unob- 
served. She  could  not  help  thinking  of  the 
niglits  Mary  and  she  had  gone  out  to 
Mammy's  house;  and  how,  when  it  had 
pleased  Mammy's  fancy,  she  had  woven 


18  Adele  Hamilton 

wonderful  stories  for  them.  Sometimes  it 
was  a  marvelous  ghost-story,  after  which 
they  would  be  afraid  to  go  back  to  the 
house,  for  fear  of  seeing  "a  tall  'oman  all 
in  white  wi'dout  a  head  on."  After  being 
assured,  however,  that  "nobody  can't  see 
sperits  'cep'n'  dey's  born  wid  a  caul  over 
dey  eyes,"  they  ran  for  dear  life  without 
looking  behind  them,  until  the  back  portico 
was  reached  and  they  were  safe  inside. 

The  servants  of  "Greenwood"  were  up 
bright  and  early  next  morning,  hurrying 
from  the  kitchen  to  the  house,  and  from  the 
house  to  the  kitchen  again ;  busily  packing 
lunch-baskets,  slyly  slipping  in  humble  of- 
ferings from  the  "quarters" — chestnuts, 
hickory-nuts,  walnuts,  and  peanuts;  and 
getting  everything  ready  for  the  long  jour- 
ney to  California.  Although  it  was  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning  when  Mrs.  Hamil- 
ton and  her  girls  were  driven  to  the  depot, 
Jack  Lewis,  "Uncle"  Re  Ash,  Mat,  Davey, 
Frank,  Alfred,  Landon,  Columbus,  Don, 
Anthony,  and  a  number  of  others  from  the 
quarters,  with  their  wives  and  children, 
were  there  waiting  to  say  good-by. 

Mammy  kissed  each    of    the    Hamilton 


Leaving  Home  19 

children  and  wound  her  black  arms  around 
her  mistress,  lovingly. 

' '  Far  '-you- well ;  tek  good  keer  o '  yo  'se  'f ; 
de  good  Lord  bless  yo',  honey!"  Then  she 
whispered  into  Adele  's  ear :  * '  Nuver  f  o  'git 
who  yo'  is,  honey,  an'  recollec'  yo's  kin  to 
two  o'  de  Presidents." 

Mrs.  Hamilton  took  one  long,  long  look 
at  the  dusky  group  as  if  to  impress  each 
one  indelibly  on  her  memory ;  then  dropped 
her  thick  black  veil.  Just  then  old  Jupo, 
who  had  made  his  escape  from  Mammy's 
cabin,  gave  a  tremendous  bound  toward  his 
mistress  on  the  platform,  and  was  thrown 
back  by  the  moving  train,  still  barking  his 
farewell. 

Heavy  with  heart-ache,  the  Hamiltons 
were  at  last  speeding  away  to  a  strange 
and  far-off  Iand4 


CHAPTER  II 

IN    CALIFORNIA 

THEY  traveled  for  days,  until  they 
reached  the  little  town  where  they  decided 
to  begin  life  anew.  It  was  in  a  beautiful 
green  valley,  almost  surrounded  by  lofty 
mountains,  many  of  them  capped  with 
snow.  On  the  side  of  one  mountain  was  a 
distinct  and  gigantic  arrowhead,  so  perfect 
that  it  could  be  seen  for  miles.  And  later 
they  were  informed  that  there  were  num- 
erous legends  concerning  this  freak  of  na- 
ture. One  of  them  declared  the  arrow  a 
"sign  of  good  omen  guiding  a  weary  tribe 
to  a  haven  of  rest  below  its  point,"  and  an 
Indian  legend  read  as  follows:  "A  mark  of 
fiery  arrows  shot  in  mortal  combat  between 
the  Good  Spirit  of  the  Rain  and  the  Evil 
Spirit  of  the  Drought."  Another  declares 
it  to  have  been  "branded  upon  the  moun- 
20 


In  California  21 

tain-side  by  the  head  of  a  fiery  arrow  from 
heaven. ' ' 

The  day  after  their  arrival,  Adele  and 
her  mother  started  out  in  quest  of  a  house 
to  rent.  Everybody  and  everything  seemed 
to  be  in  a  hurry.  Instead  of  black  folks, 
there  were  red,  brown,  and  yellow  men, 
that  they  knew  were  Indians,  Mexicans, 
and  Chinamen. 

As  they  passed  a  low  frame  building 
opening  on  the  street,  they  heard  such  a 
queer  noise  that  Adele  walked  to  the  open 
door  and  looked  in.  She  saw  a  number  of 
Chinamen  ironing  clothes;  and  instead  of 
dipping  their  fingers  into  a  pan  of  water 
and  sprinkling  the  clothes  as  she  had  often 
seen  Aunt  Patsy  do,  they  filled  their 
mouths  with  water;  and  exhaling  a  great 
breath,  squirted  it  over  the  clothes. 

Adele  and  her  mother  next  passed  a 
large  corral,  and  saw  a  Mexican  come  out 
on  the  back  of  a  refractory-looking  horse, 
but  before  going  far,  the  horse  stopped 
suddenly,  planted  his  fore-feet  firmly  on 
the  ground,  then  quickly  raising  his  hind 
feet  in  the  air,  precipitated  the  man  over 
his  head.  A  crowd  had  gathered,  and  they 


22  Adele  Hamilton 

heard  some  one  say,  ''There !  he  has  bucked 
the  vaqu-ero  off."  But  the  rider  was  soon 
up  and  on  the  horse 's  back  again,  none  the 
worse  for  having  been  dumped  off  so 
rudely. 

Many  houses  were  built  of  mud  bricks, 
which  the  people  called  adobes;  but  Mrs. 
Hamilton  at  last  decided  to  take  a  house 
in  the  poorest  part  of  town,  where  rent 
was  cheap.  It  was  a  very  plain-looking 
little  cottage  with  five  rooms  and  a  front 
porch.  The  house  was  raised  some  dis- 
tance from  the  ground,  and  had  a  lattice 
work  around  the  lower  front  part,  the  back 
part  being  entirely  open.  A  man  of  ordi- 
nary height  could  walk  under  it  almost 
without  brushing  the  floor  above  him.  It 
was  meagerly  furnished  and  made  as  cozy 
as  their  circumstances  would  allow;  and 
Mrs.  Hamilton  said  that  Adele  displayed 
much  ingenuity  in  her  home-made  furni- 
ture— furniture  contrived  of  boxes,  with 
covers  and  curtains,  concealing  here  and 
there  a  convenient  shelf  or  two. 

The  back  yard  was  shaded  by  two  im- 
mense pepper  trees.  The  small  front  yard 
boasted  of  an  orange,  a  lemon,  and  two 


In  California  23 

big  palm  trees.  In  an  obscure  corner 
bloomed  a  sweet-scented  acacia,  while  a 
thrifty  honeysuckle  beautified  the  front 
porch. 

In  the  lot  just  back  of  them  was  a  very 
large  stable  and  corral;  and  Mrs.  Hamil- 
ton and  her  girls  would  frequently  rush  to 
the  back  door  and  windows  to  watch  with 
keen  enjoyment  the  well-trained  vaquero 
mount  his  horse,  ride  at  full  speed,  all  the 
time  swinging  his  lariat  around  and 
around,  high  above  him,  then  throw  it,  nev- 
er failing  to  slip  the  noose  safely  over  the 
head  of  one  of  a  dozen  or  more  refractory 
plunging  bronchos. 

The  domestic  work  was  divided  among 
them  all,  each  doing  her  share ;  and  despite 
the  adage,  "Too  many  cooks  spoil  the 
broth,"  all  helped  to  get  the  first  breakfast. 

"It  is  fortunate  I  used  to  go  into  the 
kitchen  and  watch  Aunt  Hannah  cook,'* 
said  Adele,  as  she  took  off  the  lid  of  the 
coffee  can  and  carefully  measured  out  one 
heaping  tables poonful  for  each  cup.  "Aunt 
Hannah  used  to  say  that  grandpa  liked  his 
coffee  strong  enough  to  'b'ar  up  a  i'on 
wedge!'  "  she  finished,  laughing. 


24  'Adele  Hamilton 

"I  can  never  live  on  cold  light  bread, 
and  hot  waffles  are  too  expensive.  I  be- 
lieve I  shall  try  my  hand  at  hot  biscuits — 
the  kind  that  Mammy  used  to  make.  I 
think  I  remember  perfectly  well  how  she 
did  it,"  declared  Mrs.  Hamilton,  as  she 
filled  the  sieve  with  flour  and  vigorously 
tossed  it  back  and  forth  from  one  hand  to 
the  other. 

" Won't  they  be  good,  though?"  said 
Mary,  smacking  her  lips  in  anticipation, 
for  she  was  beginning  to  tire  of  cold  bread. 

The  pans  were  soon  filled  with  the  round 
cakes  of  dough,  and  Mrs.  Hamilton  slid 
them  into  the  oven  and  shut  the  door. 

"It  makes  my  mouth  water  to  think 
about  them,"  said  Anna,  and  they  all 
watched  eagerly  when  the  biscuits  were  re- 
moved from  the  oven  and  put  on  the  table. 

"These  are  not  like  Aunt  Hannah's. 
They  are  as  yellow  as  gold,  and  as  tough 
as  leather,"  remarked  Mary,  disappointed- 
ly, as  she  tried  to  open  hers  to  butter  it. 

"This  is  cruelty  to  animals,"  said  good- 
natured  Isabel,  chewing  one  desperately. 

When  Mrs.  Hamilton  quit  laughing,  she 
said: 


In  California  25 

"I  forgot  the  shortening  entirely;  and 
must  have  used  too  much  soda — two  heap- 
ing teaspoonfuls  to  one  of  cream  of  tartar, 
I  was  sure  Mammy  used.  Well,  exper- 
ience is  the  best,  but  sometimes  the  dear- 
est teacher,"  she  concluded,  smiling. 

Distributing  the  household  duties  as 
equally  as  possible,  Adele  and  Mary 
washed  the  dishes  and  kitchen  utensils, 
longing  many  times  for  Mammy.  Anna 
and  Rose  "made  the  beds,"  while  Isabel 
flew  about  over  the  house  with  broom  and 
duster.  They  employed  the  time  in  many 
profitable  ways;  for  Adele  frequently  re- 
minded her  sisters  that  industry  is  a  sure 
cure  for  discontent. 


CHAPTER  HI 

MAMMY'S  TEIALS 

BACK  at  the  old  home  Mammy  sat  in  her 
cozy  cabin  busy  with  her  knitting.  Mammy 
had  lived  in  that  place  so  long  that  she 
could  not  bear  the  idea  of  going  to 
another ;  so  she  had  arranged  with  the  new 
owner  to  do  washing  and  ironing  for  the 
use  of  her  little  cabin.  And  each  day 
Mammy 's  determination  to  follow  her  mis- 
tress was  increased.  She  thought  of  how 
she  had  declared  to  her  mistress  that  she 
would  find  her  some  day,  as  she  occasion- 
ally bent  to  " chunk  de  fire  an'  lay  on  de 
wood"  till  it  was  "brief  enough." 

After  Mrs.  Hamilton  and  her  girls  had 
gone,  Mammy  went  about  her  work  with 
renewed  zeal  and  determination.  She  knit, 
pieced  quilts,  did  mending  and  various 
other  pieces  of  needlework,  saving  every 
cent  but  what  was  needed  to  buy  the  most 

26 


Mammy's  Trials  27 

necessary  food.  Every  nickel  and  dime 
that  she  could  possibly  do  without,  went 
into  her  little  hoard.  Mammy  had  not  been 
converted  to  the  Christian  Science  faith; 
and  at  times  her  "mizry"  would  trouble 
her  so  that  she  deemed  medical  attention 
necessary,  which  would  reduce  her  little 
sum  almost  to  the  starting  point.  But  she 
never  gave  up ;  a  pair  of  little  white  hands 
seemed  always  before  her,  as  she  said, 
"beckonin'  '  to  her,  and  she  would  drop 
on  her  knees  and  say: 

"Keep  'em  safe,  good  Lord,  an*  doan' 
le'  no  harm  come  to  'em;  an'  he'p  me  to 
git  dar."  Then  with  renewed  energy  she 
would  begin  all  over  again.  Mammy  spent 
nothing  for  clothes  and  denied  herself 
everything  that  it  was  possible  for  her  to 
do  without.  To  keep  herself  warm  in  win- 
ter she  wore  old  coats  and  shoes  which 
were  once  her  master's. 

To-night  she  wondered  when  her  savings 
would  be  sufficient  to  enable  her  to  go  to 
her  mistress,  and  care  for  her  as  she  had 
done  before  their  separation.  She  ate  her 
hot  cornmeal  hoe-cake  and  thin  slice  of 
bacon  with  a  keener  relish  than  usual,  then, 


28  Adele  Hamilton 

getting  out  her  precious  little  money-bag, 
she  counted  her  hard-earned  savings,  and 
restoring  it  to  its  hiding-place  she  said  al- 
most inaudibly:  "Yes,  I'll  soon  hab 
'nough."  Suddenly  reminded  of  the  time 
by  the  shrill  crow  of  her  old  buff  rooster, 
she  went  to  bed  and  was  soon  asleep — hold- 
ing her  mistress's  tiny  white  hand  in  one 
of  her  big  black  ones, — and  was  wholly  un- 
conscious of  the  eager,  anxious  eyes  that 
had  been  peering  at  her  through  the 
chink  near  the  chimney;  and  "blissfully 
ignorant"  of  the  base  intention  of  one  to 
secure  the  treasured  little  money  sack,  the 
hiding  place  of  which,  between  the  mat- 
tress and  her  feather-bed,  had  been  dis- 
closed. 

Next  morning  found  Mammy  lost  in 
meditation  something  like  this,  "I's  de 
only  one  o'  de  fam'ly  lef '  yere.  Mis'  Lady 
mus'  be  a  young  'oman  now — po'  chile!" 

The  reverie  was  broken  by  a  child's  pat- 
tering footsteps  coming  toward  her  cabin. 
In  a  moment,  yellow  Susan's  boy,  Richard, 
dashed  into  the  room,  almost  breathless 
with  running  and  excitement. 

"Aw,  Aun'  Harriet,  my  mammy  done 


Mammy's  Trials  29 

gone  an'  slip,  an'  fell,  an'  broke  'er  arm; 
an'  Jake  done  sont  me  to  ax  yo'  to  come 
an'  stay  wid  'er  till  he  go  an'  fotck  de  doc- 
tor." 

The  boy  was  busily  mopping  his  eyes 
with  his  fists,  the  personification  of  wretch- 
edness and  fright.  So  without  further  de- 
lay Mammy  snatched  her  old  plaid  shawl 
from  its  hook,  and,  hastily  locking  her 
door,  went  quickly  to  yellow  Susan's  house. 
She  found  all  of  the  children  crying,  even 
to  the  big-eyed  baby,  who  was  usually  roll- 
ing and  tumbling  in  glee. 

The  first  thing  Mammy  did  was  to  make 
Susan  as  comfortable  as  she  could  be  made 
under  the  circumstances.  She  next  turned 
her  attention  to  the  children,  beginning 
with  the  baby,  and  ending  with  Richard. 
Taking  each  in  turn,  she  rubbed  and 
scrubbed  their  faces  until  they  shone  like 
ebony,  then  flourishing  the  broom  in  a 
threatening  manner  she  sent  them  out  to 
play.  She  flew  about  and  had  things  ready 
for  the  doctor,  who  came  soon,  and  was 
followed  some  time  after  by  Jake. 

When  Mammy  went  home  that  evening 
she  met  the  Reverend  'Lige  Pugsley;  who, 


30  Adele  Hamilton 

after  hearing  the  news,  raised  his  silk  hat 
slightly,  scratched  his  head  reflectively, 
and  said: 

"I'm  'feared  dem  boys  gwine  bring  Sis 
Susan  down  in  disgrace;  'ka'ze  I  seed  'em 
bofe  playin'  marvels;  an'  yo'  know,  Sis 
Harriet,  dat  de  Bible  say,  'marvel  not,'  an' 
dey  's  gwine  directly  'g'inst  its  precep's." 

Before  lighting  her  candle,  Mammy's 
attention  was  arrested  by  voices  from  the 
outside : 

"Yo'  des  gib  dat  yere;  dat  b 'longs  to 
me,  I  tell  yo'." 

"It  doan'  nuther,  I  got  it  fus';  an'  'sides 
yo'  has  to  git  it  'fo'  it's  yourn." 

Then  another  voice  said: 

"Nary  one  o'  yo'  gwine  hab  it;  'ka'ze 
I's  de  bigges'  niggah;  so  pass  it  right  ober, 
or  I'll  bus'  yo'  wide — 

The  sentence  was  never  finished;  for 
Mammy,  seizing  "ole  Marster's"  dinner- 
horn,  put  one  end  to  her  mouth  and  the 
other  through  the  little  window,  and  blew 
such  a  prolonged  blast  that  it  had  a  quiet- 
ing effect.  The  group  dispersed,  leaving 
a  small  share  of  their  booty  behind,  for 
lying  almost  at  Mammy's  door  was  a 


Mammy's  Trials  31 

bright  silver  dollar.  Not  knowing  to  whom 
it  belonged,  she  decided  to  drop  it  into  her 
money-bag.  So  slipping  her  hand  between 
the  feather  bed  and  the  mattress,  she  felt 
for  the  little  sack.  It  was  not  there.  She 
felt  again.  No,  it  was  not  to  be  found.  It 
was  surely  gone. 

Mammy  sank  down  on  the  floor,  covered 
her  face  with  her  apron,  and  rocking  to  and 
fro,  sobbed  hopelessly. 


CHAPTER  IV 

MAKING  A  LIVING 

MRS.  HAMILTON  and  her  five  girls  sat 
around  the  fireside  discussing  the  subject 
of  making  a  living.  "I  shall  make  a  few 
rules  by  which  we  must  abide,"  said  Mrs. 
Hamilton,  definitely  and  firmly. 

"First.  We  must  ask  God's  guidance 
and  help  in  all  things. 

"Second.  We  will  do  without,  rather 
than  go  in  debt  for  anything,  for  debt  took 
our  home  from  us. 

"Third.  We  will  not  accept  charity  as 
long  as  we  are  in  our  right  minds  and  have 
the  right  use  of  our  fingers. 

"Fourth.  We  will  remember  Mammy's 
parting  injunction,  and  maintain  our  self- 
respect,  regardless  of  our  poverty.  Our 
resources  are  slender  and  it  is  necessary 
that  we  do  something  at  once.  The  ques- 
tion is:  What  shall  it  be?  Speak,  Adele. 
You  are  the  oldest." 

32 


^Making  a  Living  33 

"I  have  determined  to  get  a  certificate 
to  teach  school,"  said  Adele.  "Miss 
Eleanor  wishes  me  to  try  for  one  at  the 
next  examination,  which  will  be  in  June. 
Public  school  teachers  are  highly  respect- 
ed, and  make  good  salaries,  too,  in  Califor- 
nia. Miss  Eleanor  is  a  teacher,  you  know. 
I  shall  devote  my  mornings  wholly  to 
study;  for  after  I  have  started,  nothing 
shall  cause  me  to  turn  back,  or  shall  pre- 
vent me  from  getting  a  certificate.  And  if 
I  should  fail  the  first  time,  I  shall  try  and 
try  again  until  I  do  succeed.  In  the  mean 
time,  I  shall  go  to  Mrs.  Randall's  and  ask 
for  button-holes  to  work.  I  used  to  watch 
Mammy  make  them,  and  she  taught  me.  I 
can  also  make  tatting  to  sell.  I  shall  go  to- 
morrow and  try  to  dispose  of  some;  for  I 
have  several  yards  already  made,  and  I 
need  shoes  badly,"  she  finished,  glancing 
at  her  shoes,  which  were  almost  worn 
through. 

When  Mary's  turn  came,  she  said  timid- 
ly, "I  can  make  sponge  cake, ' '  which  made 
the  rest  laugh,  for  Mary  was  very  proud 
of  this  accomplishment. 

"I  won't  tell  what  I'm  going   to   do," 


34  Adele  Hamilton 

said  Isabel.  "Anna  and  Rose  are  in  the 
secret,  for  we  are  going  to  be  partners ;  but 
don 't  tell, ' '  she  said,  giving  them  a  wink. 

"I  have  been  called  a  good  performer 
on  the  piano,  so  I  shall  try  to  secure  a  few 
music  pupils;  and  if  I  should  fail  at  this, 
I  shall  try  something  else.  We  are  here  to 
make  a  living ;  and  a  living  we  must  make, ' ' 
concluded  Mrs.  Hamilton  with  determina- 
tion. 

When  her  mother  had  finished  speak- 
ing, light-hearted  Isabel  snatched  up  the 
guitar  from  its  corner,  and  began  to  sing ; 
while  Anna  and  Rose  joined  in  the  chorus : 

"Oh,  what  is  the  use  of  repining? 

For  where  there's  a  will  there's  a  way. 
To-morrow  the  sun  may  be  shining, 
Although  it  is  cloudy  to-day." 

She  was  beginning  another  verse,  when 
Rose  whispered,  "Here  comes  Mrs. 
Prye!"  All  looked  up,  and  saw  a  woman 
somewhat  past  middle  age,  with  terra- 
cotta hair,  and  weak  blue  eyes.  She  wore 
a  brown  dress  decorated  with  purple 
flowers;  and  slightly  askew  on  her  head 
was  a  gaudy-flowered  bonnet,  partly  con- 


Making  a  Living  35 

cealed  by  a  green  barege  veil.  She  came 
up  the  steps;  and  before  any  of  the  girls 
could  invite  her  in,  she  spun  into  the  mid- 
dle of  the  room;  and  the  next  moment 
asked  in  a  sharp,  nasal  whine: 

"Why  wasn't  y'all  out  to  meetin'  las' 
night?  You  oughter  b'en  there  to  hyeard 
the  new  preacher.  He's  little,  but  he's 
loud."  The  significant  way  in  which  she 
took  off  her  glasses,  wiped  them  and  re- 
adjusted them  on  her  long  sharp  nose 
caused  all  to  suspect  she  must  have  start- 
ling news  to  communicate,  so  they  pre- 
pared to  receive  it. 

"I  guess  you've  hyeard  the  latest  news 
in  this  part  of  town,  hain't  yer?  Pete,  the 
convict,  's  done  come  home.  He  lives  in 
that  there  little  cabin  over  yonder;  and 
must  sho'ly  pass  here  on  his  way  to  town. 
I,  for  one,  wouldn'  like  to  meet  'im  face  to 
face,  after  dark.  His  look  is  'nough  to 
cuddle  your  blood;  an'  he  wouldn'  mind 
kill  in'  you  no  more  'n  going  to  sleep.  We 
ain't  never  hyeard  tell  of  his  equal  in  this 
place.  The  bigges'  de'il  that  ever  walked 
on  legs ;  and  he  's  jest  got  home  from  ser- 
vin'  out  his  sentence  in  San  Quentin." 


36  Adele  Hamilton 

Just  then,  Anna,  who  had  vacated  the 
room  on  Mrs.  Prye's  arrival,  thrust  her 
head  inside. 

''Come,  Isabel,  and  see  what  this  boy 
says." 

Isabel,  who  had  acquired  a  few  Spanish 
words,  ran  out  and  found  a  little  Mexican 
seated  on  a  load  of  chaparral  knots  or 
roots.  He  had  stopped  his  horses  in  front 
of  the  gate,  and  was  gesticulating  with  his 
whip  as  he  made  another  effort  at  being 
understood. 

"No  sdbe,"  she  answered. 

He  again  touched  the  wood  with  his 
whip,  saying  with  greater  emphasis : 

"Dos  pesos.    Quien  sdbe?" 

"Quien  sake  case,"  again  answered 
Isabel,  but  the  boy,  not  easily  outdone,  held 
up  two  fingers  and  repeated  slowly: 

"Dos  pesos." 

Isabel  then  knew  that  he  wished  to  sell 
the  load  of  grease-wood  for  two  dollars; 
so  she  was  compelled  to  shake  her  head 
again,  and  he  drove  on. 

Mrs.  Prye  gossipped  about  every  one  in 
the  neighborhood  and  then  rose  to  go. 
Now,  Adele  had  been  busy  in  the  kitchen, 


Making  a  Living  37 

and  the  sound  of  the  oven-door  opening  and 
shutting  had  been  sometimes  heard,  and 
the  delicious  aroma  of  boiling  coffee  greet- 
ed their  nostrils ;  when  the  knob  of  the  door 
turned,  and  in  she  came,  bearing  before  her 
a  tray  with  two  cups  of  smoking  coffee  and 
a  small  plate  of  tea-cakes  which  she  hand- 
ed to  her  mother  and  Mrs.  Piye.  The  old 
lady  was  evidently  surprised,  and  pleased 
too;  for  she  looked  hard  at  Adele  from 
over  her  spectacles,  and  said : 

"You  be  a  handy  girl,  child.  You  don't 
say  you  made  'em  by  yourself?"  she  in- 
quired with  a  pleased  ring  in  her  voice. 

Adele  only  said: 

"I  thought  you  and  mama  would  enjoy 
a  cup  of  coffee ;  and  I  wanted  you  to  taste 
some  of  mine,  Mrs.  Prye.  And  I  should 
feel  disappointed  if  you  went  home  with- 
out eating  with  us  once,  at  least." 

"You  beat  all  for  hospitableness,  child, 
I  declare!"  she  ejaculated,  helping  herself 
to  a  tea-cake,  and  Isabel  shot  out  of  the 
room  like  an  arrow  from  a  bow,  and 
crammed  her  handkerchief  into  her  mouth 
to  keep  from  laughing  at  Mrs.  Prye's  fun- 
ny mistake. 


38  Adele  Hamilton 

Next  morning,  Mrs.  Hamilton  took  some 
of  her  old  music  with  her  to  Mrs.  Hade's,  a 
mile  away,  to  solicit  a  music  pupil.  She 
was  asked  to  play,  and  selected  "Lucretia 
Borgia."  As  her  fingers  touched  the  keys, 
filling  the  room  with  delicious  melody, 
Isabel  and  Anna  sat  listening,  feeling  very 
proud  of  their  mother.  They  fully  expect- 
ed she  would  be  showered  with  compli- 
ments, but  Mrs.  Hade  had  not  been  so 
entertained.  She  moved  nervously  in  her 
seat,  first  one  way  and  then  the  other,  and 
when  Mrs.  Hamilton  had  finished,  Mrs. 
Hade  heaved  a  deep  sigh  of  relief,  and 
turning  to  Isabel,  said: 

"Well,  she's  through  at  last.  It  was 
quite  lengthy." 

The  daughter,  however,  was  more  appre- 
ciative, and  decided  to  take  lessons  of  Mrs. 
Hamilton.  When  they  were  home  again, 
Mrs.  Hamilton  and  the  girls  enjoyed  a 
hearty  laugh  over  it. 

Adele  studied  assiduously.  She  made 
yard  after  yard  of  beautiful  tatting;  but 
found  little  sale  for  it,  and  she  finally  de- 
cided to  take  it  with  her  from  house  to 
house.  She  sought  out  the  largest  house 


Making  a  Living  39 

in  town,  the  house  of  a  retired  merchant. 
As  she  rang  the  door-bell  her  heart 
thumped  loudly,  and  she  trembled  from 
head  to  foot.  Mrs.  Brine  took  the  card  of 
trimming,  partly  unwound  it,  laid  it  on  a 
red  plush  sofa,  then  held  it  up  before  her, 
rather  longingly,  it  seemed  to  Adele;  but 
hesitated,  hemmed,  and  hawed,  and  finally 
said  that  the  price  was  too  high. 

Adele 's  color  rose  at  the  thought  of  the 
labor  she  had  expended  on  it ;  and  she  was 
charging  only  a  trifle  more  than  the  cost 
of  the  thread  it  had  taken  to  make  it.  She 
had  hoped  to  sell  enough  to  buy  a  cheap 
pair  of  shoes ;  but  she  was  so  indignant  at 
this  woman's  meanness  that  she  put  away 
the  tatting  and  determined  to  go  directly 
back  home ;  and,  if  need  be,  barefooted,  be- 
fore she  would  lower  the  price  one  cent. 

She  was  now  approaching  a  large  one- 
story  brick  residence  with  no  front  yard, 
but  a  wide,  roomy  porch,  on  which  sat  a 
lady  and  a  very  tall,  well-proportioned  and 
distinguished-looking  gentleman,  beyond 
middle  age.  He  had  piercing  black  eyes, 
but  there  was  a  kindly  expression  in  them. 
On  his  well-shaped  nose  rested  a  pair  of 


40  Adele  Hamilton 

gold-rimmed  glasses.  Adele  hesitated,  as 
if  she  had  not  quite  decided  to  stop,  but 
the  lady  smiled  pleasantly,  and  rising,  of- 
fered her  a  seat,  as  she  looked  tired,  she 
told  her. 

"Lena,"  she  called. 

She  spoke  brokenly,  and  Adele  now  knew 
that  they  were  Hebrews.  At  her  mother's 
call,  a  sweet,  refined-looking  young  lady 
came  forward.  She  held  a  book  in  her 
hand,  and  when  she  had  spoken  a  few  sen- 
tences, Adele  understood  that  she  was  edu- 
cated and  cultured.  She  priced  the  trim- 
ming, and  Adele  fancied  she  noticed  the 
shoes;  for  they  said  a  few  words  in  Ger- 
man to  each  other.  Then  the  young  lady 
turned  to  her,  and  told  her  that  she  thought 
the  trimming  beautiful.  The  old  lady 
asked  Adele  if  she  made  it,  and  said  they 
would  take  it  all.  Adele  asked  two  dollars 
for  it;  but  the  old  gentleman  ran  his  hand 
down  into  his  pocket  and  brought  out  a  ten- 
dollar  gold  piece,  saying  it  was  worth  every 
cent  of  it. 

"I  thank  you  very  much,"  said  Adele, 
slightly  coloring,  "but  I  ask  two  dollars 
for  it ;  and  if  I  accepted  more,  it  would  be 


Making  a  Living  41 

charity.  I  thank  you  very  much  for  your 
kindness,  but  I  can  not  accept  charity." 
She  would  take  only  the  original  price;  so 
inclining  her  head,  she  bade  them  good- 

by. 

''She  is  very  proud,  if  she  is  poor,"  they 
said  after  she  had  gone. 

Adele  bought  her  shoes,  then  hurried  on 
to  tell  the  news  at  home.  She  was  rushing 
at  headlong  speed,  thinking  the  while  of 
the  difference  in  people,  and  turning  a  cor- 
ner hastily  ran  squarely  into  the  arms  of 
a  young  man.  Her  bundle  flew  in  one  di- 
rection, and  she  would  have  gone  in 
another  if  he  had  not  caught  and  steadied 
her. 

"I  beg  your  pardon  a  thousand  times, 
Miss,"  he  said,  as  he  lifted  his  hat,  then 
stooped  and  picked  up  her  bundle  and  gave 
it  to  her. 

Adele  blushed  and  stammered  some- 
thing, she  did  not  know  just  what.  Lifting 
his  li,-it  .-rj;iin,  the  young  man  passed  on. 

""VVlmt;  splendid  eyes!"  Adele  thought; 
but  her  face  burned  from  mortification, 
and  she  was  so  ashamed  of  her  heedless- 


42  Adele  Hamilton 

ness  that  all  the  rest  of  the  way  home  she 
kept  saying  to  herself  : 

1 1 What  a  simpleton  I  was!  what  a  sim- 
pleton !" 


CHAPTER  V 

DESPONDENT  DAYS 

THERE  came  a  time  when  very  little 
money  was  taken  into  the  Hamilton  cot- 
tage; for  Mrs.  Hamilton  and  her  girls 
found  it  was  much  more  easy  to  spend 
money  than  to  make  it. 

The  music  pupils  wished  a  vacation,  and 
went  away  on  a  "paseo"  (pleasure  trip), 
Isabel  said.  It  seemed  to  Adele  that  every- 
body's buttonholes  had  been  worked  for 
years  to  come ;  there  was  a  sudden  lull  in 
her  money-making.  Rent  was  due,  fuel 
was  out,  and  the  water  bill  had  to  be  met. 

Mrs.  Hamilton  wrung  her  hands  and 
paced  the  floor.  Then  one  day  she  sud- 
denly stopped,  darted  into  the  kitchen,  and 
raised  the  lid  of  the  big  leather  trunk.  She 
reached  her  hand  down  and  drew  out  a  lit- 
tle box  containing  a  handsome  gold  watch, 
bearing  the  family  crest,  a  hand  grasping 

48 


44  Adele  Hamilton 

a  dart.  It  had  been  her  husband's.  She 
looked  at  it  a  long  time  as  if  considering; 
then  she  shook  her  head  and  put  it  away 
again.  She  next  took  out  a  seal  ring,  which 
also  bore  the  crest.  It  was  likewise 
dropped  back.  She  sank  down  and  cov- 
ered her  face  with  her  hands. 

Next  morning  found  them  without  any- 
thing to  eat  in  the  house.  Yet  they  said 
they  would  starve  before  they  would  let  it 
be  known,  or  ask  for  charity.  Isabel,  Anna, 
and  Rose  ran  races  in  the  back  yard  until 
they  were  tired.  Then  Mary  said,  *  *  Come, 
let  us  play  post-office." 

They  carried  boxes  and  boards  to  one  of 
the  front  corners  of  the  house,  and  went 
to  work,  turning  them  upside  down,  and 
piling  them  on  top  of  each  other.  Mary 
stood  sometimes  at  the  general  delivery 
window,  then  she  assorted  piles  of  letters 
which  she  had  just  emptied  from  two  large, 
pretended  mail  sacks.  The  fastening  of 
the  front  gate  clicked;  but  she  was  too 
much  absorbed  to  hear  it.  She  glided  from 
one  end  of  the  office  to  the  other,  placing 
letter  after  letter  in  different  boxes.  In- 
cidentally looking  up,  she  saw  a  gentleman 


Despondent  Days  45 

standing  at  the  end  of  the  porch  above  her, 
smiling  as  if  he  were  amused.  He  was  low 
in  stature,  but  not  insignificant  looking. 
She  remembered  having  seen  him  before. 
He  was  Mr.  Brice,  the  postmaster.  He 
winked  at  little  Rose,  and  walked  back  to 
the  front  door,  which  Adele  had  just 
opened.  He  asked  if  she  would  go  out  that 
day  and  work  buttonholes  for  his  wife. 

Adele  had  eaten  no  breakfast,  and  the 
night  before  she  had  given  her  share  of 
supper  to  Rose.  Now,  faint  and  trembling 
from  hunger,  she  hurried  on  her  things; 
and,  appreciating  this  opportunity  to  make 
something,  started  for  Mrs.  Brice 's,  two 
miles  distant.  As  she  passed  the  court- 
house she  saw  the  steps  and  porches 
thronged  with  people.  A  criminal  case 
was  to  be  tried  that  day,  and  the  crowd 
had  already,  at  that  hour,  begun  to  as- 
semble. Clerks  and  officers  found  it  almost 
impossible  to  push  their  way  through. 
Those  in  the  court-yard  were  gazing  in- 
tently at  one  of  the  high  upper  windows. 
Across  the  street,  women  waved  handker- 
chiefs; and  Adele  glanced  up  to  see  a  tall 
and  handsome  figure  step  from  a  ladder 


46  Adele  Hamilton 

through  the  high  open  window  into  the 
court-room.  She  knew  him  to  be  the  same 
young  man  with  whom  she  had  had  a  col- 
lision on  the  street.  With  a  little  catch  of 
her  breath,  she  hurried  on,  wondering.  She 
resolved  to  put  her  best  efforts  on  her  work 
that  day;  for  the  thought  of  mother  and 
sisters  was  uppermost.  After  she  had 
worked  faithfully  for  two  hours  she  leaned 
her  head  on  her  hand,  and  felt  that  it  would 
be  impossible  to  get  through  the  morning, 
and  she  must  surely  give  up.  But  the  faces 
of  her  loved  ones  at  home  carne  again  be- 
fore her,  and  she  exerted  every  energy  and 
bent  over  her  work.  The  very  room  seemed 
suddenly  to  stand  on  end,  then  began  to 
whirl  around  and  around,  and  she  felt  her- 
self going  backward.  She  knew  nothing 
more  until  she  found  she  was  lying  on  a 
snowy  bed  with  kind  Mrs.  Brice  bending 
over  her.  Mrs.  Brice  half  suspected 
Adele 's  secret,  for  her  tears  were  dropping 
on  Adele 's  forehead. 

"Brave  little  girl,  why  didn't  you  let 
me  know?"  she  said,  and  quickly  leaving 
the  room,  she  soon  returned  with  a  boun- 
teous and  substantial  luncheon. 


Despondent  Days  47 

As  Adele  lay  there  on  Mrs.  Brice's  bed, 
seeing  in  Mrs.  Brice,  only  the  noble,  the 
good,  and  the  true,  there  was  naught  of  bit- 
terness in  her  heart  as  she  thought,  "She 
came  from  Michigan  and  I  from  the  South- 
land." 

Mrs.  Brice  insisted  on  Adele  taking  a 
full  day's  pay,  saying  she  deserved  it.  But 
Adele  would  not  hear  of  this,  and  accepted 
only  what  she  had  earned  for  two  hours' 
work.  Adele  was  sent  home  in  Mrs.  Brice's 
carriage,  and  was  much  surprised  to  find 
a  hot  supper  awaiting  her;  for  a  lady  had 
heard  of  her  tatting,  and  had  bought  sev- 
eral yards.  There  was  another  surprise 
for  her  too — Mr.  Brice  had  given  Mary  a 
position  in  the  post-office,  to  help  distribute 
mail  there.  She  was  to  begin  work  the 
week  after  the  next,  at  a  salary  of  twenty 
dollars  a  month. 

Adele  studied  harder  than  before.  Miss 
Eleanor  arranged  a  little  room  in  the  back 
part  of  her  yard,  so  they  could  study  to- 
gether every  Friday  after  school  had 
closed  for  the  week. 

Miss  Eleanor  True  was  a  teacher  in  the 
town  school;  and  often  lent  Adele  the 


48  Adele  Hamilton 

necessary  books  to  study.  She  would  say 
to  Adele: 

"Of  course,  you  need  not  feel  dis- 
appointed, dear,  if  you  should  fail  the  first 
time ;  but  I  am  so  anxious  that  you  should 
see  and  know  what  the  examinations  are. 
The  experience  will  be  good  for  you ;  and 
should  you  fail,  it  will  help  you  to  succeed 
next  time." 

And  Adele,  whose  heart  was  touched  by 
Miss  Eleanor's  kindness,  would  answer 
with  tears  in  her  eyes : 

"I  will  succeed.  I  shall  never  give  up 
trying  until  I  get  a  certificate. ' ' 

Miss  Eleanor  was  no  ordinary  woman. 
She  was  tall,  slight,  and  fair,  with  golden 
brown  hair,  and  such  a  dignified  bearing 
that  she  commanded  the  respect  of  all  who 
knew  her.  Adele  loved  her  as  her  best 
friend. 

Missing  Isabel,  Anna,  and  Hose  from  the 
house  one  morning,  Mrs.  Hamilton  saw 
them  in  the  back  yard  hard  at  work.  They 
were  pulling  weeds,  and  piling  them  up  to 
burn;  raking  and  hoeing;  and  Isabel  was 
actually  spading  the  loose  soil  in  the  fur- 
ther end  of  the  yard. 


Despondent  Days  49 

"I  am  going  to  make  a  garden  just  like 
Mammy  used  to  make.  I  have  watched  her 
many  and  many  a  time.  I  know  just  how 
she  fixed  the  ground;  and  I  have  helped 
her  plant  some  things,"  she  declared,  as 
she  resumed  her  spading.  She  was  digging 
away  in  earnest  when  she  heard  a  noise  be- 
hind her;  and  turning  discovered  one  of 
the  old  men  who  kept  the  corral  just  back 
of  them,  coming  toward  her  with  a  loaded 
wheelbarrow.  He  stopped,  lifted  his  hat, 
and  said: 

"Seein'  you  be  hard  at  work  mekin'  of 
a  gyardin,  I  thought  I'd  len'  you  a  helpin' 
hand  and  fertilize  it  for  you." 

No  sooner  said,  than  he  tilted  the  barrow 
over  to  one  side,  and  out  went  the  contents 
on  the  ground  in  a  heap.  He  took  the  spade 
from  Isabel's  hands  and  shovelled  vigor- 
ously for  a  few  minutes,  until  the  heap  had 
disappeared,  and  the  ground  was  evenly 
covered.  Isabel  told  him  she  hoped  to  send 
liini  a  dish  of  strawberries  some  day.  He 
pulled  his  hand  down  his  long  grizzly  beard 
and  smiled. 

"\Vlion  they  were  not  busy  inside,  the 
girls  found  their  garden  a  source  of  enjoy- 


50  Adele  Hamilton 

ment  as  well  as  a  profitable  employment. 
And  they  persisted  in  this  work  until  they 
had  a  large  garden  spot  ready  for  plant- 
ing; and  the  old  corral  man  was  heard  to 
say: 

" Them's  the  pluckiest  little  gals  I  ever 
see.  I  wonder  whar  they  come  from?" 


CHAPTER  VI 

A   CONFESSION 

A  LONG  time  had  passed,  and  still  there 
was  no  clue  by  which  Mammy  could  find 
her  money.  She  was  kept  very  busy  most 
of  the  time.  To-night  she  thought  of  the 
big  revival  meetings  which  were  being  held 
at  an  old  dilapidated  building  some  dis- 
tance away,  and  it  was  not  an  unheard  of 
thing,  at  this  season  of  the  year,  for  a 
snake  to  find  its  way  within  the  walls. 

Mammy  sat  in  her  door-way,  inhaling 
the  perfume  of  jasmine,  and  stooped  now 
and  then  to  listen.  Could  those  sounds  be 
feet  coming  her  way  ?  she  asked  herself ;  or 
was  it  a  confusion  of  sounds — the  cheerful 
chirrup  of  crickets,  the  dismal  croak  of 
frogs,  and  the  musical  tinkle  of  cow-bells 
down  in  the  green  pasture? 

The  night  was  intensely  warm,  and  she 
had  sat  there  longer  than  usual.  It  was 

51 


52  Adele  Hamilton 

growing  late,  and  save  for  these  sounds  all 
was  stillness.  But  twelve  strokes  of  the 
clock  called  Mammy  to  her  feet,  and  giving 
a  great  yawn,  she  untied  her  apron  and 
prepared  to  step  inside ;  then  she  was  con- 
vinced that  footsteps  were  indeed  ap- 
proaching, and  a  panting  voice  not  far  off 
said: 

"Dat  you,  Aun'  Harriet?  You  up  yit?" 

" Who's  you,  anyhow?"  inquired  Mam- 
my. 

''It's  Jake,  Aun'  Harriet — Aun'  Susan's 
Jake." 

"An'  what's  you  doin'  roun'  hones' 
folks'  houses  dis  time  o'  night?" 

"I's  come,  Aun'  Harriet,  to  mek  a  'fes- 
sion  to  you."  Then  shuffling  up  to  the 
steps  and  taking  his  seat,  Jake  said :  ' '  Ez 
I  was  gwine  'long  by  de  buildin'  whar  de 
colored  folks  's  holdin'  meetin's  I  'lowed 
des  fo'  fun,  I'd  go  in  an'  see  what  dey  's 
doin',  de  singin'  soun'  so  putty.  Den  de 
preacher  axed  ev'ybody  dat  wanted  dey 
sins  washed  'way,  to  come  up  to  dat  foun- 
tain. I  went  up  wid  de  res';  but  ev'y  time 
I'd  try  to  pray,  sumpin'  'd  pyear  to  say, 
'Yo'  can't  git  de  blessin'  while  yo'  has  sin 


A  Confession  53 

in  yo'  heart;  fus'  go  an'  mek  res'tution; 
be  raconciled  to  yo'  brother.'  I  hyeard  de 
preacher  say  de  las'  line;  den  sumpin'  done 
drapt  right  down  'twixt  me  an'  chicken- 
stealin'  Billy.  I  jumps  up,  an'  law!  dar 
wuz  de  bigges'  black  snake  I  eber  see.  Dat 
suttinly  wuz  de  ole  sarpent — de  ole  boy 
hisse'f — ez  sho'  ez  my  name's  Jake.  Den 
I  des  meks  tracks — neber  lookin'  behin'  me 
till  I  reach  yo'  do'. 

"Now  comes  de  'fession.  I  hyeard  yo' 
tell  Mammy  how  yo'  wuz  gwine  to  yo'  mis- 
tress soon  ez  yo'  could  save  up  money 
'nough  to  buy  yo '  ticket.  Den  I  done  hyear 
Unc'  Ant'ny  tell  how  he  use  to  dribe  a  hack 
in  Atlanty;  an'  how  much  money  he  use  to 
make.  I  fought  ef  I  could  des  git  hoP  o' 
yo'  money,  I'd  go  to  Atlanty  too.  Dat 
night  I  wuz  peepin'  froo  de  crack  by  yo' 
chim'ly.  I  saw  yo'  git  yo'  money-bag,  an' 
put  it  back  'g'in.  Den  I  foun'  out  what  I 
wanted  to  know — whar  yo'  kep'  yo'  money. 

"Ev'ythin'  wuz  on  my  side,  it  pyeard 
lok;  'ka'ze  nex'  mornin'  Mammy  fell  an' 
broke  'er  arm;  an'  I  sont  fo'  yo'.  I  went 
fo'  de  doctor,  an'  sont  'im  on  ahead,  an*  I 
went  home  by  yo  'house.  Yo'  locked  yo' 


54  Adele  Hamilton 

do'  in  sich  a  hurry  it  did  n'  ketch;  so  I 
pushed  it  open,  walked  right  to  de  baid,  an' 
tuck  de  sack  long  wid  me." 

Here  Mammy  bounced  up,  doubled  her 
fist  and  shook  it  at  him,  crying : 

1 '  Yo '  good-f o  '-nothin  '-low-down-triflin ' 
roscal,  yo'!" 

Jake  raised  his  elbow  as  if  to  ward  off  a 
blow,  and  continued  apologetically: 

"I  knowed  I  wuz  ongrateful;  but  now  I 
fetches  it  all  back  to  yo',  an'  axes  yo'  par- 
don 'sides,  Aun'  Harriet.  I  ain'  seed  no 
peace  sence  I  tuck  it;  an'  I 's  feared  I  won't 
have  no  luck  till  I  fotch  it  back  'gin." 

As  he  thrust  the  money-bag  in  her  lap, 
Mammy  clasped  both  hands  together  and 
said: 

"De  good  Lord  He  done  sont  it,  ef  de 
debil  did  fotch  it  back.  De  Good  Book  say 
dat  'hones'  'fession  is  good  fo'  de  soul.' 
Yo's  in  a  fa'r  way  to  git  de  blessin',  Jake." 


CHAPTER   VII 

BERTRAM  RANCH 

ONE  day  Mrs.  Hamilton  looked  up  from 
her  sewing  and  said  to  Mary: 

"And  you  say  Mrs.  Bertram  has  invited 
you  to  go  out  and  visit  them  before  you 
take  your  position  in  the  post-office?" 

"Yes,  mama,"  answered  Mary,  who  was 
busy  looking  over  her  wardrobe.  "She 
said  that  Adele  and  I  could  expect  the  car- 
riage for  us  to-morrow  afternoon.  So  we 
must  be  ready,  you  know.  Isn't  it  fortu- 
nate that  we  can  go?  Bring  the  satchel, 
Isabel,  and  help  us  pack  our  things,"  she 
continued.  "It's  a  mighty  good  thing  the 
'big  leather  trunk'  is  here  to  help  us  out!" 

"It  certainly  is  a  treasure-trove,"  de- 
clared Adele,  "with  its  linens  and  its  la  cos. 
Tliore  would  be  a  slim  chance  for  us  to  #o 
from  home  without  diving  into  its  depths." 

65 


56  Adele  Hamilton 

"I  am  ready  for  the  party-dresses,"  said 
Mary,  surveying  them  with  a  feeling  of 
deep  satisfaction.  "What  a  grand  success 
they  are;  and  fashioned  out  of  some  of 
mama's  old  ones,  too.  Nobody  else  will 
have  lovelier  ones,  if  we  are  poor,"  she 
continued  with  a  great  deal  of  pride. 

"Thanks  to  Mamma's  ingenuity,"  quiet- 
ly spoke  Adele.  "Yes,  it  is  indeed  a  for- 
tunate thing  that  I  have  some  of  my  old 
finery  with  which  to  dress  my  girls.  If  we 
had  to  buy  it  we  could  not  afford  anything 
like  this,"  said  Mrs.  Hamilton,  holding  up 
a  piece  of  exquisite  Irish  point  lace. ' '  Some 
of  these  pieces,  girls,  were  ten  dollars  a 
yard.  This  little  collar  and  these  cuffs 
were  eighteen  dollars;  and  this  black  lace 
point  was  forty-five.  If  you  will  promise 
to  be  very  careful  with  them,  Adele  may 
use  my  white  Canton  crepe  shawl ;  and  you, 
Mary,  this  velvet  wrap." 

"Adele  will  look  like  a  canary-bird  in 
that  yellow  silk,"  interposed  Eose,  admir- 
ingly, for  she  was  very  much  attached  to 
Adele. 

"I  wore  that  silk  dress  years  ago  to  a 
brilliant  reception  given  to  the  Lady  Amel- 


Bertram  Ranch  57 

ia  Murry  when  she  visited  the  United 
States,  and  was  the  guest  of  my  sister  in 
New  Orleans,"  Mrs.  Hamilton  said,  a  little 
sadly,  as  old  memories  rose  before  her. 

'"They  are  going  to  have  a  very  grand 
party,  too,  while  we  are  out  there,"  con- 
tinued Mary,  still  thinking  of  their  intend- 
ed visit  to  Bertram  Ranch.  "It  is  going  to 
be  given  to  Marie;  as  she  has  just  gradu- 
ated and  come  home  from  college.  An  or- 
chestra has  been  engaged ;  and  what  danc- 
ing we  will  have!"  she  finished,  thoroughly 
enjoying  the  prospect,  as  she  held  up  her 
dress  with  one  hand  and  waltzed  around 
the  room.  She  was  extremely  fond  of  dan- 
cing, and  was  always  delighted  to  be  invited 
where  there  would  be  any.  So  the  next  af- 
ternoon, when  the  Bertram  carriage  rolled 
up  to  the  modest  Hamilton  cottage,  Adele 
and  Mary  were  eager  to  start  on  their  visit. 
It  was  not  the  first  one  they  had  made  to 
Bertram  Ranch,  so  they  could  well  imagine 
what  was  in  store  for  them. 

Bertram  Ranch  was  a  large  fruit  ranch, 
consisting  of  two  or  three  hundred  acres, 
the  vineyard  alone  comprising  one  hundred 
acres,  twenty  of  which  were  the  choicest 


58  Adele  Hamilton 

varieties  of  grapes  for  family  use.  There 
were  two  or  three  large  orange  and  lemon 
groves. 

"Bertram  House"  was  situated  on  a  ris- 
ing eminence,  and  its  observatory  peeped 
up  far  above  the  green,  graceful  boughs  of 
the  two  mammoth  pepper-trees.  It  was 
built  of  brick,  and  had  many  rooms,  which 
were  hospitably  thrown  open  to  friends 
and  strangers.  Here  those  who  were  in 
trouble  found  sympathy,  the  needy  receiv- 
ed help,  and  no  one  was  ever  turned  away 
from  its  doors  hungry. 

On  Bertram  Ranch  was  a  large  stream 
of  water,  known  as  the  "irrigating  ditch." 
For  some  distance  along  this  stream  were 
different  varieties  of  figs;  and  it  was  a 
common  sight  to  see  here  several  squaws 
engaged  in  washing  clothes;  and  not  far 
away  could  be  seen  the  wigwams  of  these 
and  of  other  hired  Indian  help. 

Marie  Bertram  was  well  accustomed  to 
driving,  so  she  drove  into  town  for  Adele 
and  Mary.  Myrtle  and  Queen  were  full  of 
spirit,  and  after  they  had  crossed  the  wide 
arroi/o  and  had  ascended  the  steep  bank 
beyond,  Myrtle  reared  and  stood  almost 


Bertram  Ranch  59 

upright  in  the  harness.  Fearing  she  would 
become  unmanageable,  and  they  would  be 
plunged  backward  down  the  steep  ascent, 
and  obeying  the  impulse  of  the  moment, 
Adele  screamed  loudly  and  shut  her  eyes. 
When  she  looked  up  again,  a  tall  gentle- 
man on  horseback  was  holding  Myrtle's 
rein.  He  rode  by  her  head  a  short  distance, 
until  she  was  quieted ;  then,  lifting  his  hat, 
he  turned  his  horse  toward  town,  and  was 
soon  out  of  sight.  Adele  knew  that  he  rec- 
ognized her,  and  her  face  colored  as  she 
remembered  with  mortification  their  un- 
ceremonious meeting  on  the  sidewalk  not 
many  weeks  before. 

"Who  is  he?"  she  asked. 

"Mr.  Elwood,  one  of  the  deputy  sher- 
iffs," replied  Marie.  "He  is  an  expert 
penman,  and  attends  to  the  sheriff's  cor- 
respondence; and  also  has  charge  of  the 
tax-books,  I've  heard  my  brother  say.  He 
is  very  handsome,  isn't  he?  Did  you  no- 
tice his  fine  eyes;  and  his  white  teeth 
through  his  brown  moustache,  when  he 
smiled,  and  lifted  his  hat,  as  he  rode  off? 
My  brother  knows  him  quite  well  and  likes 
him  very  much." 


60  Adele  Hamilton 

Adele  made  no  reply,  but  her  thoughts 
were  busy. 

Next  morning  after  breakfast,  Mary  and 
Marie  missed  Adele  and  went  in  search  of 
her,  calling,  as  they  went : 

''Adele!  where  are  you?" 

"Here,  upstairs,  on  the  veranda.  Do 
come  up.  It  is  lovely.  I  can  see  over  the 
entire  ranch.  Marie  will  have  enough  rais- 
ins to  live  on  plum  pudding  and  fruit  cake 
forever!" 

"And  thousands  of  pounds  to  sell,  be- 
sides," said  Marie,  laughing.  "Oh,  girls, 
come  and  let  us  go  down  and  see  them 
make  wine." 

"What  are  those  barefooted  Indians  do- 
ing!" asked  Adele. 

"Why,  they  are  tramping  out  the  juice 
of  the  grapes.  The  wine  is  said  to  be  of 
much  finer  flavor  when  made  this  way,  than 
when  machinery  is  used,  as  machinery 
bruises  the  seeds  of  the  grapes,"  explain- 
ed Marie. 

"Ugh!  I  do  not  care  for  any  of  your 
finely-flavored  wines,"  put  in  Mary,  mak- 
ing a  wry  face. 

They    were    nearing    the    wine-makers 


Bertram  Ranch  61 

now;  and,  as  his  turn  caine,  each  stalwart 
Indian  stepped  into  the  large,  square  press 
of  grapes.  They  tramped  and  tramped,  up 
and  down,  around  and  around,  each  one 
trying  to  outdo  the  other  and  attract  the 
most  attention. 

Large  wagons  filled  with  grapes  were 
brought  from  the  vineyard;  and  one  of 
them,  with  a  white  driver,  stopped  near 
Adele.  The  man  selected  a  large  and  full 
bunch  of  luscious  mission  grapes,  soused  it 
into  a  bucket  of  fresh  water,  shook  it  vigor- 
ously, and  held  it  out  to  Adele.  She  hesi- 
tated, then  did  what  a  moment  later  she 
wished  she  had  not  done — took  the  grapes 
and  thanked  him  for  them.  An  Indian 
nearby  grunted,  and  she  caught  sight  of  an 
evil,  half-satisfied  look  in  the  white  man's 
face. 

The  white  man  was  a  perfect  giant  in 
size.  His  black  eyes  were  evil-looking,  and 
on  one  cheek  and  extending  under  one  eye 
was  a  hideous-looking  red  mark,  much  re- 
sembling a  piece  of  raw  meat.  He  was 
dressed  in  overalls,  and  wore  a  sombrero, 
as  the  Indians  did.  He  seemed  to  be  on  the 
most  intimate  terms  with  the  Indian,  and 


62  Adele  Hamilton 

called  him  ' '  Jim. ' '  Adele  turned  to  Marie, 
who,  with  Mary,  had  been  too  much  occu- 
pied in  watching  the  men  trample  the 
grapes  to  notice  what  Adele  had  been  do- 
ing, and  said: 

''Can  we  not  go  back  to  the  house  now?" 

As  they  walked  on,  Mary,  who  had  not 
seen  the  white  man,  asked : 

"Are  all  the  men  Indians?" 

"All  but  one;  he  is  a  white  man,  and 
does  the  driving;  but  he  lives  with  the  In- 
dians, and  acts  as  interpreter  for  them. 
They  say  when  he  gets  mad  he  is  a  des- 
perate sort  of  fellow;  but  we  hire  him  be- 
cause he  is  an  excellent  worker,  and  can 
talk  with  and  manage  the  Indians  so  well. 

Adele  thought  of  the  man's  evil-looking 
eyes,  and  wished  more  than  ever  that  she 
had  never  touched  the  bunch  of  grapes. 

The  three  girls  went  back  to  the  house, 
and  Adele  tried  to  dispel  the  whole  inci- 
dent from  her  mind;  but,  try  as  hard  as 
she  might,  a  pair  of  evil-looking  eyes  and 
a  loathsome  red  mark  stood  out  before  her, 
and  troubled  her  dreams  that  night.  How- 
ever, as  she  did  not  see  the  interpreter 


Bertram  Ranch  63 

again,  she  gave  herself  up  to  the  enjoy- 
ment of  her  visit. 

The  week  was  fast  slipping  away,  and 
each  day  brought  new  pleasures.  There 
were  carriage-drives,  trips  to  the  "old  mis- 
sion" nearby;  and  one  day  the  beautiful 
grays,  Prince  and  Queen,  were  saddled  and 
brought  out  for  Adele  and  Marie  to  ride. 
They  had  swung  into  an  easy  canter  and 
had  gone  some  distance,  when  suddenly 
Adele 's  saddle  turned  and  she  slipped  off 
gracefully  to  one  side  of  the  road. 

Prince  had  been  curbed  with  a  Spanish 
bit  that  day,  and,  finding  himself  free,  he 
started  straight  for  home;  but  before  he 
had  gone  far  another  rider  from  another 
direction  intercepted  him,  and  a  gloved 
hand  caught  the  bridle.  Adele  sprang  to 
her  feet  in  much  embarrassment  as  she 
saw  that  the  horseman  was  no  other  than 
the  young  man  who  had  come  to  their  res- 
cue and  quieted  the  carriage  horses  a  few 
days  before.  He  brought  her  horse  to  her, 
and  she  saw  a  smile  hovering  about  his 
moustache  as  he  said : 

"  Allow  me  to  bring  your  horse  to  you.  I 
hope  you  are  not  hurt,  Miss." 


64  Adele  Hamilton 

"Not  in  the  least;  and  I  thank  you  very 
much.  But  how  am  I  to  mount  him  again?" 
said  confused  Adele,  partly  to  the  young 
man  and  partly  to  Marie,  who,  having  fall- 
en far  behind  spirited  Prince,  had  at  that 
moment  come  up.  Elwood  solved  the  dif- 
ficulty, and  Adele  was  soon  seated  in  the 
saddle  again. 

"I  thank  you  again,"  said  Adele,  slight- 
ly inclining  her  head  toward  him. 

"I  am  only  happy  to  be  of  service  to 
you,  Miss." 

Then,  lifting  his  white  straw  sailor,  he 
galloped  down  the  road  toward  town. 

When  Edwin  Elwood  was  some  distance 
away,  he  drew  something  from  his  vest- 
pocket,  pressed  it  to  his  lips,  then  return- 
ed it  to  its  hiding-place.  It  was  only  a  scar- 
let pomegranate  flower  that  had  fallen 
from  Adele 's  dark  hair  when  she  slipped 
from  the  saddle.  Elwood  reined-in  his 
horse  and  fell  to  musing  as  he  rode  leisure- 
ly along  toward  "Base  Line." 

"The  villain!  the  scoundrel!"  he  said 
aloud,  as  his  right  hand  unconsciously 
sought  his  pistol.  "If  he  but  had  his  de- 
serts he  would  be  serving  a  sentence  in  San 


Bertram  Ranch  65 

Quentin,  instead  of  working  in  vineyards. 
He  will  bear  close  watching,  and  Burk- 
hart's  men  will  be  equal  to  him." 

Adele  and  Marie  walked  their  horses  the 
rest  of  the  way  home ;  and  just  as  the  set- 
ting sun's  rosy  tints  left  "Old  Greyback," 
they  were  dismounting  before  Bertram 
House,  where  Mrs.  Bertram  and  Mary  had 
been  anxiously  watching  for  them. 

It  seemed  to  Adele  that  the  perfume  of 
the  roses,  the  carnations,  and  the  orange- 
blossoms  was  never  sweeter;  and  the  vine 
of  the  passion-flower,  climbing  up  and 
twining  its  clinging  tendrils  over  the  front 
porch,  never  more  graceful — for  a  pair  of 
beautiful,  large  eyes,  fringed  with  long, 
dark  lashes,  had  banished  the  evil  ones; 
and  that  night  her  dreams  were  of  happi- 
ness and  love. 

Next  morning,  after  breakfast,  Mrs.  Ber- 
tram said: 

' '  Come,  girls,  I  have  something  to  show 
you." 

They  followed  her  out  into  the  backyard 
under  the  great  pepper  trees,  and  there 
they  found  two  aged  Indians,  so  old  and 
small,  dried  up  and  thin  looking,  it  seemed 


66  Adele  Hamilton 

that  a  puff  of  wind  might  blow  them  away. 
The  Indians  were  industriously  sweeping 
the  yard,  which  they  were  accustomed  to  do 
once  a  week.  They  were  barefooted,  and 
when  Mrs.  Bertram  spoke  to  them  in  their 
own  language,  they  threw  down  their 
brooms  and  fell  to  dancing;  and  the  "High- 
land Fling"  and  "Cutting  the  Pigeon 
Wing"  were  not  to  be  compared  with  the 
comical  steps  and  antics  of  old  Perfect  and 
his  squaw.  Under  the  long,  drooping 
boughs,  in  the  shade  of  the  pepper  trees, 
then  out  in  the  sunlight,  around  and  around 
they  danced,  and  up  and  down  with  an  oc- 
casional flat-footed  slap  on  the  hard 
ground. 

The  three  girls  laughed  until  they  cried ; 
but  kind  Mrs.  Bertram  slipped  away  into 
her  brick  store-room,  and  mysterious  bun- 
dles and  packages  constituted  the  reward 
of  the  aged  couple. 

The  greater  part  of  the  next  day  was 
rustle,  bustle,  and  excitement;  for  that 
night  the  party  was  to  be,  and  everything 
was  in  readiness  before  time  for  the  guests 
to  arrive.  Japanese  lanterns  adorned  the 
porches  and  swung  in  the  trees.  After  the 


Bertram  Ranch  67 

girls  made  their  toilets,  Mrs.  Bertram  com- 
pared them  to  the  flowers.  The  house  was 
soon  filled  with  guests;  and  as  the  orches- 
tra began  to  play,  a  tall  young  man,  whom 
the  girls  designated  " Spider  Legs,"  sin- 
gled out  Mary,  and  asked  the  pleasure  of  a 
waltz  with  her.  Away  they  went  around 
the  room.  Others  chose  partners  and  went 
whirling  around  too.  Marie  leaned  over 
and  whispered  into  Adele 's  ear: 

"If  there  isn't  Mr.  Elwood,  the  deputy 
sheriff.  My  brother  is  bringing  him  over 
to  introduce  him." 

Adele  looked  and  saw  Elwood 's  hand- 
some, erect  figure  coming  in  their  direc- 
tion. They  were  soon  chatting  pleasantly, 
then  Adele  became  aware  that  Marie  and 
her  brother  had  also  waltzed  off,  leaving 
her  and  Elwood  to  themselves.  Mary  seem- 
ed to  be  enjoying  the  dance  immensely; 
and  when  she  and  her  partner  sped  by 
them,  Elwood  turned  to  Adele  and  said, 
pleasantly : 

"Do  you  not  dance,  Miss  Hamilton?" 

"No,  I  do  not  dance;  so  I  must  content 
myself  to-night  with  being  a  wall-flower." 

Elwood  would  have  given  a  great  deal 


68  Adele  Hamilton 

just  then  to  say,  "And  a  very  sweet  one, 
too ' ' ;  but  he  dared  not.  Instead,  he  said : 

' '  How  fortunate ! ' '  Then  he  added,  * '  Do 
you  think  it  wrong  to  dance!"  and  waited 
for  her  answer. 

"When  a  thing  is  doubtful  I  think  it  the 
best  plan  to  keep  on  the  safe  side  and  lean 
the  other  way.  I  never  regret  it,  because 
it  gives  me  a  clear  conscience,  and  a  clear 
conscience  is  worth  everything  and  makes 
one  truly  happy." 

If  Adele  could  have  only  known  how  Ed- 
win Elwood  respected  and  admired  her  for 
what  she  had  said,  it  would  have  made  her 
very  happy ;  but  their  conversation  was  cut 
short  by  the  announcement  of  supper. 

The  company  formed  itself  into  couples, 
and  Elwood  offered  Adele  his  arm,  and 
they  followed  the  rest,  the  Senator  and  his 
wife  leading  the  way  to  the  long  and  spa- 
cious dining-room. 

"When  will  you  return  to  town,  Miss 
Hamilton?"  asked  Elwood,  as  he  held  out 
his  hand  to  say  good-by  at  the  close  of  the 
festivities. 

"To-morrow  will  end  our  visit,  and  we 
will  go  home  then,"  Adele  answered. 


Bertram  Ranch  69 

"And  may  I  have  the  pleasure  of  calling 
some  evening?"  he  concluded,  smiling 
down  at  her. 

' '  Certainly ;  mama  and  the  rest  of  us  will 
be  pleased  to  see  you  almost  any  evening, ' ' 
Adele  replied. 

The  Senator  and  his  wife  and  baby  were 
to  spend  the  night  at  Bertram  Ranch ;  and 
as  Adele  passed  through  the  bedroom 
where  the  hats  and  wraps  were,  she  saw 
Louise,  the  half-grown  Indian  nurse  of  the 
Senator's  wife,  deeply  immersed  in  the 
pages  of  "Daniel  Deronda." 


CHAPTER   VIII 

MOURNING  FOB   THE   PEESIDENT 

JUST  across  the  street  from  Mrs.  Hamil- 
ton's cottage  was  the  King  House,  a  lodg- 
ing-house of  many  rooms.  It  was  here  that 
Edwin  Elwood  stayed.  One  morning  little 
Rose  said: 

"There's  a  new  lady  stopping  at  the 
King  House.  She  is  tall.  Has  black  hair, 
a  long  nose,  and  the  smoothest  voice— 

"And  when  she  laughs,  her  mouth 
spreads  all  over  her  face,"  chimed  in  Isa- 
bel, who  stood  listening. 

"Yes,  but  the  very  funniest  part  of  all 
is  her  name.  She  is  named  Miss  Sally 
Scrubby,"  finished  Rose  with  a  laugh. 

"Plebeian  name,"  remarked  Mrs.  Ham- 
ilton, without  looking  up  from  her  sewing. 

"She  tries  to  put  on  airs.  I  don't  like 
her,"  said  Rose. 

"That  is  the  truth,  Rose.     This  morn- 

70 


Mourning  for  tHe  President         71 

ing  when  I  passed  by  she  was  saying  to  an- 
other lady,  'I  can't  bear  this  place.  Mama 
has  always  been  used  to  so  much.'  And 
every  time  Mr.  Elwood  goes  away,  she 
rushes  out  and  tries  to  walk  down  the  street 
witli  him,"  said  Isabel  in  a  tone  of  disgust. 

Notwithstanding  her  dislike  for  the 
place,  Miss  Sally  Scrubby  began  to  take  an 
active  part  in  town  parties  and  church  so- 
cials. 

There  came  a  day  in  September  when  all 
of  the  stores,  schools,  and  public  buildings 
were  closed,  and  their  flags  flying  at  half- 
mast.  The  court-house  and  the  whole  town 
was  draped  in  deepest  mourning;  for  a 
telegram  had  brought  intelligence  of  the 
saddest  of  calamities:  the  death  of  the 
President — the  ruler  of  the  nation.  The 
church-bells  tolled  out  solemnly  the  sad 
tidings,  and  the  one  thought  and  the  one 
sentence  was,  "Our  President  is  dead!" 

Arrangements  were  being  made  for  me- 
morial services  to  be  held  at  the  court- 
house. While  passing  a  group  of  women, 
Adele  heard  one  say: 

"You  wouldn't  ask  her,  would  you? 
She's  a  full-fledged—" 


72  Adele  Hamilton 

Adele  well  divined  her  meaning;  and, 
turning  quickly,  saw  it  was  Sally  Scrubby 
speaking.  Adele 's  lips  curled  with  scorn, 
and  she  passed  on  quickly,  giving  no  seri- 
ous thought  to  what  had  been  said. 

As  she  sang  in  one  of  the  choirs,  Adele 
presumed  that  her  name  had  been  suggest- 
ed as  that  of  one  of  the  singers.  So  at  the 
appointed  hour,  in  a  plain  suit  of  gray, 
with  a  strip  of  black  crape  tied  on  her  arm, 
she  started  for  the  court-house.  Not  far 
behind  her  were  Sally  Scrubby  and  her 
mother  going  to  the  court-house,  too. 

"She's  about  to  be  overcome  by  her  en- 
vironment," Sally  Scrubby  said,  loud 
enough  for  Adele  to  hear. 

Adele  whirled  and  looked  her  full  in  the 
eye  before  she  answered,  in  a  quiet  but 
resolute  voice: 

"This  is  a  free  country,  and  I  am  an 
American ! ' ' 

Without  so  much  as  deigning  to  look  at 
her  again,  Adele  hurried  on,  but  the  throng 
was  so  dense  that  she  was  compelled  to  el- 
bow her  way  through.  At  last  the  side 
entrance  to  the  court-yard  was  reached. 
The  singers  were  already  there  on  the  east 


Mourning  for  tUe  President          73 

porch.  She  could  see  them  seated  high 
above  the  crowd. 

"How  shall  I  ever  get  through  this  mass 
of  people?"  she  asked  herself;  and  was 
considering  what  was  just  the  best  thing 
to  do,  when  a  tall  and  familiar  form  came 
down  from  the  porch  and  was  pushing  his 
way  toward  her.  She  saw  Elwood  coming 
and  waited  for  him.  It  was  but  a  few  min- 
utes until  she  took  his  proffered  arm, 
reached  the  porch  with  little  difficulty,  and 
ascended  the  steps.  Elwood  conducted-her 
to  a  seat  beside  Miss  Eleanor,  who  was 
there,  beckoning  to  her  and  making  room 
for  her  to  sit  down.  Looking  up,  Adele  saw 
a  large  picture  of  President  McKinley  in 
massive  frame  and  sombre  drapery,  look- 
ing down  at  her.  She  felt  that  the  eyes  of 
another,  who,  with  uncovered  head,  stood 
very  near,  were  also  looking  toward  her; 
but,  giving  no  sign  that  she  knew  it,  she 
sang  the  funeral  hymns. 

At  the  close  of  the  services  Elwood  of- 
fered Adele  his  arm;  and  they  went 
through  the  loog  corridor  and  out  on  the 
other  side  to  the  less  crowded  street.  As 
she  turned  to  thank  him  for  his  kindness, 


74  Adele  Hamilton 

she  saw  Sally  Scrubby  coming  at  no  great 
distance  behind  them. 

"I  am  very  glad  you  were  there  to-day, 
Miss  Hamilton,"  Elwood  said;  and  as  he 
walked  slowly  back  to  the  sheriff's  office 
he  thought,  and  said  to  himself,  "I  was 
proud  to  know  her  to-day."  Then  he 
stooped  to  pick  up  Sally  Scrubby 's  hand- 
kerchief, which  had  been  artfully  dropped. 

As  Adele  turned  into  another  street  she 
saw  Sally  Scrubby  still  detaining  Elwood. 

Adele  shuddered  unconsciously  as  she 
thought  of  the  distasteful  familiarity;  and 
she  said,  half-aloud : 

"What  a  coarse,  coarse  woman!" 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE   CONVICT 

SOME  time  passed,  and  Mrs.  Hamilton 
and  her  girls  failed  to  see  any  one  answer- 
ing Mrs.  Prye's  description  of  the  convict; 
though  sometimes  they  would  notice  a 
large  man  with  broad  shoulders,  shabbily 
dressed,  and  always  with  a  big  hat  drawn 
low  over  his  eyes,  come  out  of  the  dilapi- 
dated cabin  and  go  in  again. 

One  afternoon  Adele  sat  working  dili- 
gently at  her  tatting.  It  was  a  legal  holi- 
day; and  Mary,  being  at  home  from  the 
post-office,  sat  nearby  working  buttonholes 
for  her  sister.  Adele 's  gaze  wandered  from 
her  work  to  the  old  cabin,  then  her  shuttle 
dropped  from  her  fingers  and  spun  away 
on  the  floor. 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  Mary, 
somewhat  startled. 

"I  haven't  seen  that  man  go  into  or  come 

75 


76  Adele  Hamilton 

out  of  his  cabin  for  two  whole  days.  I  won- 
der if  he  is  sick?"  Adele  said,  with  some- 
thing akin  to  pity  in  her  tone. 

" Can't  prove  it  by  me,"  answered  Mary 
promptly.  "We  are  not  supposed  to  know 
the  business  of  other  people,"  she  added 
with  a  slight  degree  of  asperity. 

"But  he  might  be  suffering;  and  if  we 
were  to  go  over  we  might  do  something  for 
him,"  replied  Adele  earnestly. 

"Why,  Adele  Hamilton!  You  surely  do 
not  mean  to  go  to  that  convict's  house,  and 
alone?" 

"That  is  exactly  what  I  mean  to  do — 
that  is,  if  you  refuse  to  go  with  me, ' '  Adele 
retorted. 

"That  man  who  has  been  in  the  peniten- 
tiary?" 

"He's  a  human  being;  and  if  we  let  him 
suffer,  or  die  right  here  in  plain  sight,  sim- 
ply because  we  think  that  we  are  better 
than  he,  God  will  hold  each  of  us  responsi- 
ble," finished  Adele  with  emphasis. 

' '  I  shall  not  let  you  go  alone.  If  you  will 
go,  I  shall  go  with  you;  but  your  good 
heart  will  be  the  death  of  you  some  day." 

Mary's  tone  had  softened;  so  both  girls 


The  Convict  77 

put  away  their  work,  and  as  Mrs.  Hamil- 
ton had  gone  to  give  a  music  lesson,  and 
had  not  returned,  they  told  Isabel  where 
they  were  going,  and  were  soon  at  the  con- 
vict's cabin. 

They  knocked  at  the  door,  but  there  was 
no  response.  With  some  trepidation,  Adele 
opened  it  and  put  her  head  inside.  No  one 
was  to  be  seen  in  this  room,  but  they  heard 
a  groan  in  the  next.  Mary  put  her  arm 
around  Adele  and  together  they  stepped 
into  the  room. 

"Who's  that  come  a-interferin'  in  my 
quarters,  I'd  like  to  know?"  growled  a 
voice  from  the  adjoining  room. 

''We  were  afraid  you  were  ill,  and  have 
come  to  do  something  for  you,"  softly  an- 
swered Adele. 

While  she  spoke,  both  girls  stepped  to 
the  door  and  looked  in.  Things  were  more 
miserable  than  they  even  suspected.  The 
man  was  apparently  very  ill,  and  lay  upon 
a  straw-pile,  with  an  old  coat  under  his 
head  for  a  pillow,  and  a  few  old  rags  which 
once  deserved  the  name  of  quilts  answer- 
ed for  covering.  His  cheeks  were  very  red, 
and  he  seemed  to  have  a  consuming  fever. 


78  Adele  Hamilton 

Adele  searched  about  until  she  found  a 
tin-cup.  She  washed  it  and  gave  him  a 
drink  of  fresh  water.  A  "norther"  was 
sweeping  down  the  "Pass,"  and  every 
gust  of  wind  shook  the  cabin  and  caused 
the  man  to  shiver  perceptibly.  They  hunt- 
ed for  fuel,  but  could  find  none.  They  ran 
home  and  soon  returned  with  a  large  bun- 
dle, and  part  of  their  wood,  and  there  was 
not  a  very  large  supply  left  at  home. 

After  making  a  comfortable  fire,  which 
brightened  the  room,  Adele  took  from  the 
bundle  a  quilt  that  she  had  taken  from  her 
own  bed.  She  handled  it  almost  tenderly, 
for  Mammy,  back  at  the  old  home,  had 
wrought  every  stitch.  Adele  spread  it  over 
the  sick  man ;  then,  taking  up  a  heavy  cloak 
overcoat,  which  came  also  from  the  bundle, 
spread  it  on  him  too.  She  lifted  one  piece 
of  warm  clothing  after  another.  They  had 
belonged  to  her  father. 

There  was  a  gentle  tap  on  the  outer  door, 
and  Anna  came  into  the  room  with  a  bowl 
of  hot  gruel,  which  Mrs.  Hamilton  had  sent. 

Adele  forgot  all  else  except  that  the  man 
was  very  ill,  and  she  did  everything  in  her 
power  to  relieve  his  suffering.  Placing  a 


The  Convict  79 

cup  of  water  within  easy  reach,  they  left 
the  desolate  little  cabin  and  went  home. 

Not  long  after  they  had  closed  the  con- 
vict's door,  a  man  opened  it  and  went  in- 
side. He  looked  about  him  wonderingly 
and  remarked,  half -aloud : 

''What  good  fairy  has  wrought  the 
change  f ' ' 

Then,  going  to  the  bed  of  straw,  he  rais- 
ed the  sick  man's  head  and  gave  him  a 
drink  of  water.  At  the  same  time  he  said, 
kindly : 

4 '  I  am  sorry  to  find  you  sick,  Pete. ' ' 

"Mos'  done  up  this  time,  Mr.  Elwood. 
The  fever  makes  me  flighty.  Thought  the 
sheriff  and  his  men  were  comin'  to  take  me 
in  ag'in,"  he  said  brokenly. 

"No,  they  are  not  coming.  Just  one  of 
his  men  is  here;  and  he  is  going  to  stay 
all  night  and  take  care  of  you.  It  looks 
very  much  as  if  you've  had  an  angel's  visit 
—things  are  so  bright." 

There  was  no  answer,  except  a  violent  fit 
of  coughing  and  then  a  groan. 

Edwin  Elwood  sat  by  the  convict's  bed 
all  night,  administering  soothing  remedies 
and  doing  all  he  could  to  alleviate  his  suf- 


80  Adele  Hamilton 

fering;  and  next  morning  the  patient  was 
so  much  improved  that  before  Elwood  left 
him  the  man  had  dropped  into  a  restful 
sleep.  On  awaking  he  saw  Adele  and  Mary 
with  a  dainty  breakfast— the  kind  they  had 
seen  Mammy  prepare  for  her  patients.  He 
appeared  not  to  remember  their  visit  of  the 
day  before,  and  Adele  said : 

"I  am  glad  you  are  better.  If  you  can 
eat  something  now,  I  think  you  will  get 
well.  Try  this  breakfast  we  cooked  for 
you.  This  hot  tea  will  do  you  good. 

She  placed  the  things  on  the  only  chair 
in  the  room,  which  Mary  had  drawn  up; 
and  it  was  then  that  she  noticed  a  newspa- 
per of  the  day  before  had  slipped  from  it, 
and  that  the  fire  had  been  recently  replen- 
ished. 

"If  you  can  eat  something  you  will  get 
better,"  she  said,  reassuringly.  The  man 
looked  up  quickly  and  said : 

"Do  you  know  who  I  be?  I'm  Big  Pete, 
the  convict,  that  the  whole  town  is  'feared 
of.  'Tain't  no  use  to  git  better  when  you 
know  the  whole  world  is  ag'in'  you;  and 
hope  is  clean  gone.  Every  time  you  try  to 
lift  up  your  head  and  start  over,  they  trace 


The  Convict  81 

you  back  to  the  penitentiary,  and  p'int 
their  fingers  at  you,  and  say,  'He's  a  jail- 
bird.' Then  they  give  you  another  kick 
lower  than  the  fust — jist  like  that  ole  wom- 
an's 'cross  the  lot  yonder." 

He  pointed  toward  Mrs.  Prye's  house 
and  continued:  "She's  a  heap  too  good  to 
help  them  that  needs  help.  She'd  be 
p'isoned  if  she'd  speak  to  a  po'  scrub  like 
me." 

He  covered  his  eyes  with  his  arm,  as  if 
to  shut  out  some  unpleasant  recollection, 
while  he  seemed  to  be  thinking,  and  talk- 
ing half-aloud,  and  as  if  no  one  else  could 
hear: 

"Thar  ain't  no  use  in  tryin'.  Thar's 
jes'  one  thing  for  sich  as  me  to  do." 

"Yes,  get  well  and  try  to  find  work," 
said  Adele  tactfully,  half-guessing  his 
meaning. 

He  passed  his  palm  over  his  shaven 
head,  saying: 

"That's  a  stamp  that  everybody  knows 
me  by.  Who'd  hire  me  if  I  did  want  to 
work?" 

* '  Wear  a  wig, ' '  suggested  Adele.  '  *  I  can 
get  one  which  was  used  once  in  theatricals. 


82  Adele  Hamilton 

Take  it  and  wear  it ;  and  go  where  you  are 
not  known." 

"Why  not  change  your  name  to  Peter 
Work  ? ' '  put  in  Mary. 

The  man  was  now  listening  interestedly 
to  all  that  was  being  said  to  him. 

"My  dad  left  me  a  piece  of  ground  up 
yonder  in  another  county,"  he  said.  "It's 
so  po'  it  wouldn't  sprout  spuds.  If  I  could 
jes'  git  even  with  Bill  Macy.  (He  lives 
with  the  Injuns  and  interprets  for  'em; 
and  sent  me  to  San  Quentin  in  Injun  Jim's 
place.  He  set  fire  to  Reade's  barn  and  laid 
the  s'picion  on  me.)  I  say  if  I  could  jes' 
git  even,  I'd  go  up  there  and  work  that 
piece  of  ground.  But  I  swore  if  I  ever  did 
git  out,  I'd  make  Bill  Macy  pay  up.  There 
was  jes'  one  man  that  them  fellers  couldn't 
fool.  He  didn't  believe  their  lies.  That 
was  the  young  man  that  stays  in  the  sher- 
iff's office  and  does  his  writin'  for  'im.  And 
ain't  nobody  in  the  town  can  beat  'im  writ- 
in'. He's  got  the  bigges'  heart  in  him.  It 
was  him  that  set  here  by  my  bed  all  last 
night  to  give  me  water  to  drink  and  see 
that  I  didn 't  need  nothin '. ' '  And  he  wiped 
his  eyes  with  the  back  of  his  rough  hand. 


The  Convict  83 

Placing  everything  that  would  be  need- 
ed during  the  day  close  at  hand,  Adele  and 
Mary  went  home.  While  Adele  cooked  food 
for  the  sick  man,  Mary  rummaged  through 
the  "big  leather  trunk"  until  she  found 
what  she  desired — an  old  black  wig.  They 
made  one  more  trip  to  the  cabin,  and  took 
the  things  with  them. 

"Promise  to  try,"  said  Adele  and  Mary 
simultaneously,  as  they  were  leaving. 

The  outcast  lifted  his  hand  high  above 
his  head,  and  said  solemnly,  reverently: 

"God  help  me!" 

The  "norther"  was  still  blowing,  and 
Mrs.  Hamilton  and  her  girls  sat  around 
tlioir  fireside.  The  low  melody  in  the  chim- 
ney reminded  them  of  Mammy's  spinning- 
wheel.  And  that  night  Adele  dreamed  she 
was  securely  nestled  in  the  black  arms  of 
Mammy,  listening  to  the  crooning  of  her 
favorite  lullaby. 


CHAPTER   X 

ROSE'S  DISAPPEARANCE 

ROSE  had  been  in  a  mischievous  mood  all 
that  morning.  They  remembered  that  af- 
terward. When  Adele  had  seated  herself  at 
her  table  of  books,  and  was  absorbed  in  her 
studies,  Rose  slipped  quietly  behind  the 
chair  and  clapped  both  hands  over  Adele 's 
eyes. 

"It  is  Rose;  and  please  do  not  interrupt 
me  while  I  am  studying, ' '  spoke  Adele,  not 
a  little  nettled.  As  soon  as  she  had  got  in 
a  fair  way  of  studying  again,  Rose  loosened 
the  coil  of  hair  at  the  back  of  Adele 's  head 
and,  giving  it  a  smart  jerk,  down  her  hair 
slipped,  a  wavy  mass,  reaching  to  the  floor; 
while  naughty  Rose  ran  away,  laughing. 
Adele  was  much  irritated;  but,  having  al- 
ways great  patience  with  her  sisters,  and 
seeing  that  Rose  was  determined  on  teas- 
ing, sat  very  still,  apparently  much  en- 

84 


Rose's  Disappearance  85 

grossed  in  studying  history,  until  Rose 
snatched  the  book  out  of  Adele 's  hands, 
and  ran  out  of  the  house  as  fast  as  her  fat 
little  legs  would  carry  her. 

Adele  was  so  exasperated  she  could  stand 
it  no  longer.  So  away  she  went,  close  to 
Kose's  heels,  trying  to  seize  her  dress;  but 
Rose  always  managed  to  elude  her,  strik- 
ing out  straight  ahead,  darting  this  way 
and  that  way,  but  always  keeping  ahead  of 
Adele  and  just  out  of  her  reach.  At  last, 
turning,  she  made  a  direct  line  for  the 
house ;  but,  stepping  into  a  little  ditch,  con- 
cealed by  long  grass,  she  tripped  and  fell. 

Adele  seized  her,  gave  her  a  vigorous 
shaking  and  three  severe  slaps  on  the 
cheek,  saying,  as  she  did  so : 

"I  wish  a  great  big  Indian  would  get 
you ! ' ' 

Before  the  thoughtless  words  were  well 
out  of  her  mouth,  she  regretted  having  said 
them,  and  little  did  she  dream  how  soon 
her  careless  wish  was  to  be  realized. 

It  was  Rose's  part  of  the  work  to  get  in 
the  wood  and  kindling  the  night  before  for 
the  breakfast  fire  next  morning.  The  wood 
pile  was  behind  the  house  and  next  to  a  va- 


86  Adele  Hamilton 

cant  lot  on  one  side  of  the  house.  This  lot 
had  no  fence,  and  one  could  see  a  horseman 
gallop  across  it  at  almost  any  time.  Rose 
was  still  pouting  with  Adele  for  having 
slapped  her,  and  Adele  still  treated  her 
with  silent  indifference. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  Eose 
went  outside,  as  usual,  to  fill  her  basket 
with  kindling.  She  did  not  come  back,  and 
all  were  so  busy  that  they  had  quite  for- 
gotten her.  Mrs.  Hamilton  was  first  to  dis- 
cover her  absence,  and  she  went  to  the  win- 
dow and  looked  out,  saying: 

"I  wonder  where  Eose  is?  She  has  not 
brought  in  her  wood  yet. ' ' 

Adele 's  words  and  wish  of  that  morning 
came  to  her,  and  she  sprang  to  the  door, 
calling : 

''Eose,  oh,  Eose!"  But  Eose  apparent- 
ly was  not  within  hearing  distance.  Fol- 
lowed by  the  rest,  Adele  ran  to  the  wood 
pile.  There  was  the  basket  half  full  of 
kindling,  but  no  little  Eose.  Mrs.  Hamil- 
ton and  each  of  the  girls  ran  in  different 
directions,  calling  her  name  as  they  went, 
but  there  was  no  response.  Mrs.  Hamilton 
was  wringing  her  hands  and  crying  aloud : 


Rose's  Disappearance  87 

"Oh,  what  has  become  of  my  baby?" 

The  tears  were  streaming  down  Adele's 
face  as  she,  put  her  arms  around  her  moth- 
er and  said : 

"If  we  could  only  have  her  back  again, 
I  should  never  say  another  cross  word  to 
her.  Oh,  I  shall  die  if  we  do  not  find  her. 
T  ic ill  find  her.  You  go  and  tell  the  sheriff, 
Mary.  You  stay  with  mama,  Anna  and  Isa- 
bel." And  she  darted  away,  not  knowing 
whither  she  went. 

One  of  the  neighbors  now  remembered 
having  seen  a  man,  near  sunset,  ride  rap- 
idly across  the  vacant  lot,  lean  far  over 
and  snatch  up  something — she  could  not 
tell  what,  as  she  was  paying  little  atten- 
tion— then  gallop  away  at  full  speed.  All 
were  convinced  that  he  must  have  been  an 
Indian,  as  no  white  man  could  have  been 
so  dexterous  in  the  saddle. 

Adele's  only  thought  was  to  get  some 
trace  of  Rose  before  dark.  So,  not  think- 
ing nor  caring  about  her  own  safety,  she 
sped  on  and  on,  not  knowing  her  destina- 
tion, only  stopping  now  and  then  to  take 
breath  or  to  listen.  She  could  hear  the  im- 
patient whinny  of  a  horse  in  the  bushes  not 


88  Adele  Hamilton 

far  off,  and  the  distinct  bark  of  dogs  came 
to  her  ears.  Then  she  knew  that  she  was 
near  "Squaw  Flat." 

The  sun  dropped  out  of  sight ;  and  so  in- 
tent on  finding  Rose  was  she,  that  Adele 
realized,  for  the  first  time,  that  she  was 
standing  in  a  sandy  road  with  a  dense 
growth  of  willows  on  both  sides.  She  had 
found  no  clew  to  little  Rose,  and  it  was  al- 
most night  and  she  was  far  from  home. 
She  now  became  thoroughly  frightened, 
and,  turning  quickly,  tried  to  run;  but  it 
seemed  that  her  feet  only  slipped  back  into 
the  deep  sand.  She  thought  she  heard  a 
step — so  she  stood  and  listened.  The  wil- 
lows shook  and  parted,  and  a  man  stepped 
directly  in  her  path.  She  remembered  his 
wicked  eyes,  and  knew  him  to  be  the  Indian 
interpreter  who  had  had  charge  of  the 
grape  wagon  while  she  had  watched  the 
wine-making  at  Bertram  Ranch.  Paralyzed 
with  fright,  she  stood  staring  at  him.  Then 
she  tried  again  to  run  away;  but  her  feet 
seemed  to  be  glued  to  the  spot.  She  tried 
to  scream,  but  she  could  not  utter  a  single 
sound.  The  ruffian  seized  her  instantly. 

"Not  so  fast,  my  pretty  Miss !  You  don't 


Rose's  Disappearance  89 

git  away  that  easy!  IVe  had  my  eyes  on 
you  a  long  time." 

"Loosen  your  hold  on  my  arm,  please," 
said  Adele,  trying  to  be  calm  and  to  think 
what  to  say. 

"Now  don't  give  me  any  of  that.  You 
can't  come  that  game  over  me !"  he  said  in- 
solently. "S'pose  you'd  like  to  know  where 
the  little  gal  is  —  now  wouldn't  you, 
though  ? "  he  said,  glaring  in  her  face  in  a 
tantalizing  manner.  *  *  I  '11  strike  a  bargain 
with  you.  You  come  and  be  my  squaw  and 
I'll  take  you  to  her.  She's  safe  and  sound; 
but  jes'  let  you  say  'no,'  and  you  bet  her 
sweet  life  won't  be  wuth  much,"  he  finished 
as  he  tightened  his  hold  on  Adele 's  arm.  A 
wicked  expression  shone  in  his  evil  eyes  as 
he  said : 

"You  can  give  me  a  sweet  kiss  with  them 
red  lips  of  yourn.  Come,  sweet 'art."  He 
tried  to  encircle  her  with  his  big,  rough 
arm ;  but  Adele  shrank  back  with  loathing 
and  indignation ;  and,  having  the  use  of  her 
faculties,  and  of  her  right  hand  as  well,  she 
dealt  him  a  hard  blow  across  the  lips.  She 
saw  the  blade  of  a  long  knife  raised  and 
ready  to  strike;  thoughts  of  her  mother 


90  Adcle  Hamilton 

and  sisters  flashed  over  her,  and  she  closed 
her  eyes.  But  something  happened  just 
then — something  unexpected.  A  big  man 
bounded  from  a  clump  of  willows,  and  was 
on  the  ruffian's  back  like  a  tiger.  Adele 
knew,  almost  without  seeing  him,  that  it 
was  the  convict.  She  saw  a  stream  of  blood ; 
and,  uttering  a  loud  scream,  she  fell  for- 
ward in  the  sand.  She  was  answered  by  a 
dozen  voices;  the  quick  gallop  of  horses 
was  heard;  and  Sheriff  Burkhart  and  his 
men  dashed  in. 

Lying  to  one  side  was  Adele,  uncon- 
scious ;  and  not  many  feet  away  were  signs 
of  a  struggle  having  taken  place;  but  no 
one  but  Adele  was  there. 

Edwin  Elwood  was  in  the  lead,  and  was 
the  first  to  see  Adele.  He  dismounted  and 
ran  toward  her,  fearing  she  was  dead. 
Finding  she  was  unharmed,  and  had  only 
fainted,  and  having  an  important  search  on 
hand,  the  sheriff  said : 

"Elwood,  we  leave  the  young  lady  to 
you.  We  must  be  off;  for  there's  no  time 
to  lose  if  we  would  find  the  little  girl." 

They  clattered  on,  and,  after  Elwood  had 
thrown  his  bridle  over  the  limb  of  a  tree,  he 


Rose's  Disappearance  91 

knelt  by  Adele.  Her  dark-brown  hair  was 
combed  back,  exposing  her  high,  fair  fore- 
head. 

"What  a  beauty!"  Elwood  thought.  He 
bent  his  head  until  his  hair  almost  touched 
hers,  and  his  lips  were  very  near  to  the 
beautiful  curve  of  her  lips.  He  took  her 
little  hands  in  his;  first  one,  and  then  the 
other,  and  chafed  them.  As  his  hand  closed 
over  the  little,  dimpled  fingers,  Adele  sigh- 
ed and  opened  her  gray  eyes. 

' 'Where  am  I?"  she  asked. 

* '  You  have  had  an  accident,  and  I  am  go- 
ing to  take  you  home,"  Elwood  answered 
with  feeling  in  his  words. 

Finding  a  stream  of  water  nearby,  he 
took  his  hunting-cup  from  his  pocket  and 
gave  her  a  drink,  and  helped  her  to  rise. 

It  was  now  dusk,  and  they  could  hear  the 
yelp  of  a  coyote  in  the  distance. 

*  *  Can  you  ride  ? ' '  Elwood  asked  her. 

1  'I  am  afraid  to  ride  alone ;  my  head  feels 
so  dizzy,"  she  replied. 

He  helped  her  into  the  saddle;  then 
mounted  behind  her.  If  he  could  have  seen 
her  face,  so  pale  a  few  minutes  before,  he 
would  have  discovered  plenty  of  color  now. 


92  Adele  Hamilton 

"Let  me  have  the  bridle,  and  I  will  guide 
the  horse  safely  back  into  the  main  road. 
It  isn't  safe  in  these  willows  after  dark," 
he  told  her ;  '  *  and  if  you  get  dizzy  just  lean 
against  me,"  he  added  gently. 

Adele  knew  that  his  protecting  arms 
were  around  her,  though  they  did  not  touch 
her ;  and  Elwood  was  conscious  that  she  sat 
very  erect,  so  there  would  be  little  danger 
of  her  leaning  against  him.  At  last  she 
said: 

"I  am  afraid  he  will  kill  her.  He  said 
he  would." 

"Who  said  he  would!"  asked  Elwood 
quickly  and  keenly. 

"That  wicked  man,  the  Indian  inter- 
preter. ' ' 

Elwood  now  understood.  It  was  Bill 
Macy,  as  he  had  suspected;  but,  fearing 
that  Adele  might  lose  consciousness  again, 
he  said,  consolingly: 

"Trust  Burkhart  and  his  men  to  bring 
her  safely.  They  will  not  give  up  the  search 
until  they  find  her  for  you.  They  are  out 
hunting  for  her  now." 

Elwood  and  Adele  could  now  see  the 
light  in  Mrs.  Hamilton's  cottage;  and  they 


Rose's  Disappearance  93 

knew  that  she  was  waiting  for  her  eldest 
daughter  and  for  her  baby. 

As  Elwood  lifted  Adele  from  the  horse, 
and  she  thanked  him,  he  could  feel  her 
breath  on  his  cheek,  and  it  sent  a  thrill 
through  him.  He  waited  and  watched  her 
go  slowly  up  the  steps.  He  saw  the  front 
door  open  and  shut  again,  and  knew  that 
she  was  safe  inside. 

Elwood  mounted  his  horse  and  galloped 
off  in  an  opposite  direction  from  that 
chosen  by  the  sheriff  and  his  men.  After 
making  two  or  three  detours,  he  crossed  a 
bridge  and  stopped  before  an  old  mill  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  town.  Here  he  dis- 
mounted and  cautiously  tied  his  horse  in 
the  shadow.  Not  far  away  was  a  dilapi- 
dated building  which  had  once  been  a 
dwelling.  A  criminal  had  afterward  used 
it  as  a  hiding-}  )lace,  and  it  was  now  the 
abode  of  bats  and  owls.  To  this  Elwood 
directed  his  steps.  Approaching  cautious- 
ly, he  crawled  through  the  rickety  fence 
and  dropped  down  in  the  tall  sunflowers,  to 
await  developments.  He  reasoned  that  if 
the  one  who  had  the  child  in  charge  should 
find  out  there  was  danger  of  her  rescue,  he 


94  Adele  Hamilton 

would  spirit  her  away  to  another  hiding- 
place. 

Elwood  had  not  waited  long,  when  he 
heard  the  back  door  creak,  and  two  men 
came  out.  They  were  standing  but  a  short 
distance  from  him;  and,  although  it  was 
dark,  he  was  certain  that  one  was  an  In- 
dian, the  other  the  interpreter. 

"She'll  be  all  right  here,  for  they  are 
scenting  in  the  wrong  direction.  After 
things  are  good  and  quiet  to-night,  take  her 
away;  and,  once  over  the  line,  she'll  be  safe 
enough.  Soon  as  the  big  girl  gits  home 
they'll  be  after  my  scalp.  So  I  must  va- 
moose. Sabe,  Jim?" 

The  Indian  gave  the  usual  grunt  of  as- 
sent. 

"By  sunrise,"  the  man  said,  "be  well  on 
the  way." 

Again  Jim  grunted  audibly. 

"We'll  fool  'em  this  time." 

The  speaker  started  off,  but  came  back 
and  said:  "Don't  let  'em  catch  you  here. 
If  they  happen  to  find  this  place,  you  be 
somewhere  else.  Sabe?" 

Another  grunt  came  from  the  depths  of 
Jim's  broad  chest,  and  both  men  walked 


Rose's  Disappearance  95 

away  together  and  crossed  the  bridge  in 
the  darkness. 

Elwood  reached  for  his  revolver,  but  re- 
membered he  had  handed  it  to  Corbett  be- 
fore dismounting  in  the  "Willows."  So 
he  waited  until  they  were  at  the  top  of  the 
hill  and  beyond  hearing  distance.  He  sup- 
posed the  two  men  were  going  for  a  drink 
of  whiskey,  and  suspected  that  the  Indian 
would  come  back  soon. 

Elwood  went  noiselessly  to  the  back 
door,  tried  it,  and  found  it  to  be  unfasten- 
ed. Opening  it,  he  stepped  cautiously  in- 
side. He  had  groped  his  way  to  the  middle 
of  the  room,  when  something  struck  him 
full  in  the  face.  It  proved  to  be  only  a  bat. 
Elwood  felt  in  his  vest-pockets  and  found 
some  matches.  Striking  one,  he  looked 
around,  and  saw,  crouched  in  a  corner,  with 
hands  and  feet  bound,  and  a  bandage 
across  her  eyes  and  mouth,  leaving  only  the 
nostrils  free,  poor  little  Rose — Mrs.  Hamil- 
ton's baby! 

"Do  not  be  afraid,  little  girl.  It  is  a 
friend  who  has  come  to  take  you  home  to 
your  mama,"  said  Elwood  gently,  going  to 
the  child.  "But  we  must  be  quick." 


96  Adele  Hamilton 

With  the  help  of  his  knife  he  took  the 
bandage  from  her  face.  Then  he  severed 
the  thongs  which  bound  her  hands  and  feet. 
The  child  seemed  not  to  think  of  herself, 
but  asked,  anxiously: 

'  *  Is  Adele  safe  f  I  was  mean  to  her ;  and 
I'm  afraid  they  are  going  to  hurt  her.  The 
white  man  makes  the  Indian  do  everything 
bad  for  him." 

' '  She  is  quite  safe,  I  saw  her  to-night, ' ' 
said  Elwood  as  he  tried  to  stand  Rose  on 
her  feet.  But  she  almost  screamed  aloud 
with  pain,  and  said  her  feet  were  asleep. 

After  a  minute's  rest  Elwood  took  her 
in  his  arms  and  hurried  from  the  building. 

The  eastern  sky  had  been  growing 
brighter,  and  now  a  full  moon  came  into 
view  above  ' '  Greyback, ' '  making  the  valley 
as  light  as  day.  But  Elwood,  with  his  arms 
close  around  little  Rose,  and  thinking  all 
the  while  of  Adele,  rode  rapidly  away  and 
up  to  Mrs.  Hamilton's  gate.  The  door  open- 
ed quickly,  expectantly.  Elwood  handed 
Rose  down — for  she  could  now  stand — and 
saw  her  mother's  arms  around  her;  but, 
not  caring  to  intrude  on  so  sacred  a  fam- 
ily scene,  he  was  soon  riding  away  to  the 


Rose's  'Disappearance  97 

sheriff's  office  to  arm  himself.  The  sher- 
iff's party  had  not  returned,  and,  soon  af- 
ter, three  distinct  shots  rang  out  in  the 
moonlight.  These  were  soon  answered  by 
two  other  shots  in  the  distance ;  and  the  lit- 
tle town  knew  that  Rose  had  been  found. 

After  Elwood  had  given  the  signal 
agreed  upon,  he  went  back  to  the  building 
where  he  had  rescued  the  little  girl,  and 
awaited  the  return  of  Indian  Jim,  hoping 
to  make  an  important  arrest.  He  kept 
watch  all  night;  but,  as  Jim  failed  to  ap- 
pear, it  was  certain  that  he  and  the  inter- 
preter were  well  on  their  way  to  Mexico, 
and  would  soon  be  "over  the  line." 

The  convict  had  not  been  back  to  his  cab- 
in, and  though  Elwood  searched  diligently 
for  him  there  was  no  clew  to  his  disappear- 
ance. It  was  known,  though,  that  the  in- 
terpreter had  seen  him  last. 


CHAPTER   XI 

THE  DAEKEST  HOUfi 

DAYS  and  months  had  lengthened  into 
years.  Little  Rose  was  quite  a  young  lady 
now.  She  sang  like  a  nightingale,  and  had 
a  decided  talent  for  drawing  and  painting. 
Her  chief  delight  was  to  take  her  pencil 
and  shut  herself  up  in  a  little  back  room 
with  canvassed  walls,  which  Mrs.  Hamilton 
used  as  a  place  for  storing  boxes  and 
trunks,  and  make  pictures  to  her  heart's 
content.  Before  it  was  discovered  what  she 
was  doing,  the  four  walls,  from  base-board 
to  ceiling,  were  almost  covered.  There  were 
faces  and  figures  so  true  that  they  were  at 
once  recognized  by  the  rest  of  the  family. 

Anna  had  grown  to  be  an  excellent  house- 
keeper. She  often  cleaned  the  house  thor- 
oughly, and  Mrs.  Hamilton  would  frequent- 
ly remark  that  to  be  a  good  housekeeper 
was  one  of  the  highest  accomplishments, 

98 


The  Darkest  Hour  99 

and  one  of  which  any  girl  ought  to  be  very 
proud. 

Isabel  was  passionately  fond  of  music, 
and  still  practised  religiously  on  the  little 
table,  with  the  hope  of  getting  a  piano  some 
day. 

Mary  had  given  perfect  satisfaction  in 
the  post-office,  and  was  steadily  advancing. 

Though  Adele  had  been  before  the 
" Board"  twice,  and  had  failed  to  get  a  cer- 
tificate each  time,  she  did  not  give  up ;  but 
continued  to  persevere  in  her  efforts  to  suc- 
ceed, and  resolved  to  make  another  trial. 

The  morning  of  the  examination  she  was 
awakened  by  the  singing  of  the  mocking- 
bird in  the  tall  eucalyptus  tree  across  the 
street,  and  the  perfume  of  orange-blossoms 
floated  in  through  her  window,  as  if  to 
cheer  and  comfort  her.  Then,  while  she  sat 
at  her  desk,  carefully  weighing  every  ques- 
tion before  writing  her  answer,  the  joyful 
notes  of  a  meadow  lark  in  the  distance 
came,  as  it  were,  to  gladden  her  heart  and 
give  her  new  hope.  How  anxiously  she  wait- 
ed for  the  close  of  the  week.  It  came  at  last. 
The  examination  was  over,  though  she  had 
not  learned  the  result  for  her. 


100  Adele  Hamilton 

Mary  was  starting  to  the  post-office,  but 
ran  back  into  the  house,  where  Adele  was 
busily  sweeping.  "Mr.  Jimswing  is  at  the 
door  and  wishes  to  see  you,"  she  said  to 
Adele. 

Mr.  Jimswing  was  president  of  the 
Board  of  Education,  and  was  also  one  of 
the  examiners. 

As  if  anticipating  his  errand,  Adele 
rushed  to  the  door;  and,  after  Mr.  Jim- 
swing  had  gone,  she  flew  back  into  the  room 
where  her  mother  and  sisters  were,  wav- 
ing her  hands  excitedly  and  triumphantly 
above  her,  as  she  shouted,  "Consequitur 
quodcunque  petit!" 

"Why,  daughter,"  said  Mrs.  Hamilton, 
in  a  gratified  tone,  "did  you  get  a  certifi- 
cate?" 

Mary,  who  had  lingered  to  hear  the  news, 
cried : 

"Three  cheers  for  our  school  teacher!" 

Anna,  who  had  been  washing  dishes,  for- 
got what  she  was  doing,  and  tossed  away 
the  dish-rag.  Kose  wound  her  arms  around 
Adele 's  neck,  and  Isabel,  always  ready  with 
some  of  her  fun,  chasseed  around  the 
room,  quoting  the  words  of  Mrs.  Benson, 


THe  Darkest  Hour  101 

of  the  neighborhood:  ''I'm  mazemerized 
up  to  the  ceiling ! ' ' 

Adele  succeeded  very  soon  in  getting  a 
school;  but  it  was  some  distance  in  the 
country,  and  she  would  be  compelled  to 
stay  there  most  of  the  time,  only  coming 
home  at  the  close  of  the  week.  She  was 
now  deeply  anxious  about  her  mother ;  for 
she  seemed  not  at  all  well;  and  though 
Mrs.  Hamilton  insisted  on  Adele  going  to 
the  school,  she  went  with  a  heavy  heart  and 
a  deep  foreboding  of  ill ;  and,  after  having 
taught  two  weeks,  she  returned  home  to 
find  her  mother  no  better,  and  growing 
steadily  worse.  The  doctor  was  called  in, 
and  he  pronounced  the  case  typhoid  fever. 

There  was  an  ache  in  Adele 's  heart,  and 
a  great  lump  in  her  throat — a  feeling  she 
could  not  dispel.  Taking  entire  charge  of 
her  mother,  she  gave  all  the  medicines,  en- 
trusting her  to  the  care  of  no  other.  She 
nursed  her  both  day  and  night,  rarely  clos- 
ing her  eyelids  in  sleep.  Anna,  with  the 
help  of  Isabel  and  Eose,  did  the  housekeep- 
ing, and  they  all  depended  on  Mary  for 
"daily  bread,"  so  she  kept  faithfully  at 
the  office  work.  Kind  friends  came  to 


102  Adele  Hamilton 

offer  sympathy;  and  Miss  Eleanor  True 
stood  the  test  and  proved  herself  a  real 
friend;  for  every  Friday  evening,  at  the 
close  of  her  week's  school  work,  she  came 
to  sit  up  all  night,  so  that  Adele  might  have 
the  necessary  rest.  However  fatigued  she 
might  have  been,  she  never  failed  to  come, 
and  to  have  her  with  her  was  Adele 's 
greatest  comfort. 

It  was  one  of  these  nights  when  Miss 
Eleanor  was  there,  and  after  Mrs.  Hamil- 
ton had  been  delirious  four  long  weeks,  that 
Adele,  with  frightened  face,  ran  into  the 
sitting-room,  where  Miss  Eleanor  sat, 
whispering : 

"Oh,  I  heard  Mammy's  screech-owl — the 
bird  which  Mammy  says  portends  death! 
Can  it  be  over  the  house,  in  the  sycamore 
tree?" 

They  went  into  Mrs.  Hamilton's  room 
and  listened  again.  Then  Adele  went  to 
her  mother  and  bent  over  her.  She  heard 
the  fevered  breath  coming  in  fitful  gasps— 
a  perfect  imitation  of  the  screech-owl. 
Adele  dropped  by  the  bed  and  buried  her 
face  in  the  cover. 

The  doctor  was  untiring.    He  came  in  the 


TKe  Darkest  Hour  103 

day,  or  any  hour  of  the  night,  and  made  no 
charge,  but  Adele  said: 

"Give  her  the  very  best  attention,  Doc- 
tor, and,  if  necessary,  I  will  teach  ten  years 
to  pay  you. ' ' 

One  day  the  doctor  made  his  usual  visit. 
He  looked  very  grave ;  and,  before  leaving, 
called  Adele  out  of  the  room. 

"Miss  Hamilton,  as  you  are  the  oldest, 
I  think  I  ought  to  speak  frankly  and  tell 
you  that  I  can  give  you  no  hope  for  your 
mother.  You  are  nursing  her  faithfully; 
continue  doing  it,  child ;  for  if  there  should 
be  a  change  for  the  better  it  will  come 
through  the  nursing.  Do  not  depart  from 
the  doctor's  directions  a  single  hair's 
breadth;  but,  to  be  perfectly  honest  with 
you,  your  mother  may  die  any  time. ' ' 

The  doctor  was  very  gruff,  but  under  a 
rough  exterior  he  had  a  big  heart.  When 
he  had  finished  speaking,  Adele  could  con- 
trol her  feelings  no  longer.  Her  gravest 
fears  had  been  confirmed,  and  she  burst  out 
crying. 

"Now,  if  you  want  to  cry,"  he  said,  "go 
out  into  the  chimney-corner  and  cry;  for  I 
might  cry  too." 


104  Adele  Hamilton 

He  whirled  about  suddenly,  went  down 
the  steps,  and  out  of  the  front  gate. 

Adele  went  back  to  the  fireplace,  sank 
clown  in  the  little  rocker  where  her  mother 
had  so  often  sat,  and  thought,  ''How  dark 
the  days!  Will  they  never  grow  bright 
again?" 

Another  week  passed ;  and  still  there  was 
no  visible  change  in  Mrs.  Hamilton.  The 
doctor  had  made  his  usual  visit,  and  gone 
home.  It  was  now  nearing  midnight. 
Adele  had  given  the  medicine  and  had  tak- 
en her  seat  by  her  mother's  bedside.  She 
heard  a  heavy  step  on  the  porch,  and  re- 
membered she  had  forgotten  to  lock  the 
front  door  after  the  doctor  had  gone.  She 
tried  to  reach  it,  to  secure  it,  but  before 
she  could  get  there  the  knob  turned,  and 
the  door  began  to  move,  and  the  next  mo- 
ment a  man's  hand  was  thrust  inside. 
Fearing  if  she  called  to  the  rest  it  might 
disturb  and  excite  her  mother,  she  threw 
herself  against  the  door  and  pushed  with 
all  her  strength.  She  felt  that  she  was  fast 
giving  away,  and  was  about  to  call  Mary, 
when  the  door  shut  with  a  loud  bang,  and 
the  unwelcome  intruder  was  hurled  back- 


THe  Darkest  Hour  105 

ward  off  of  the  porch.  Edwin  Elwood  had 
come  just  in  time,  but  before  he  could  get 
a  light  the  man  disappeared  into  the  dark- 
ness, and  no  trace  of  him  could  be  found. 

Elwood  told  her  how  he  had  feared  her 
mother  might  be  worse,  and  Adele  need 
help,  and  how  he  had  gone  to  his  window 
and  looked  out  toward  her  cottage  for  the 
light  which  she  had  promised  to  place  in 
her  window,  should  she  need  him ;  and  how 
he  had  seen,  instead,  a  stream  of  light  cross 
her  porch,  and  the  form  of  a  man  against 
her  door. 

"Give  yourself  no  uneasiness,  Miss 
Adele,"  he  said.  "I  shall  not  be  far  away, 
and  shall  watch  your  house  until  morn- 
ing." 

Adele  thought  she  had  never  seen  him 
look  quite  so  noble  and  handsome  as  he 
looked  just  then,  and  she  answered: 

* '  Oh,  he  might  hurt  you,  Mr.  Elwood !  Do 
be  careful!"  She  felt  as  if  she  would  like 
to  add,  "Be  careful  for  my  sake";  but  she 
only  thought  it  instead,  and  did  not  know 
how  her  solicitude  for  his  safety  had  filled 
Elwood  with  hope,  and  repaid  him  for  all 
his  trouble. 


106  Adele  Hamilton 

"If  I  only  had  the  right  to  stay  there  and 
help  her  nurse  her  mother,"  Elwood 
thought;  "but  I  love  her  too  well  to  sub- 
ject her  to  remarks ;  and  it  is  for  her  sake, 
and  for  love  of  her,  that  the  street  divides 
us;  but  I  am  sometimes  tempted  to  spend 
my  nights,  without  her  knowledge,  on  her 
porch." 

It  was  with  a  happier  heart  that  Adele 
again  took  her  seat  by  her  mother's  bed; 
for  she  knew  that  one  whom  she  loved  bet- 
ter than  all  others  paced  noiselessly  back 
and  forth  in  the  shadow  of  the  orange- 
trees,  keeping  silent  watch  over  her. 

Another  night,  and  Mrs.  Hamilton  seem- 
ed no  better,  having  been  in  a  stupor  most 
of  the  day.  Adele  went  in  to  give  the  medi- 
cine, and  saw  Isabel,  usually  so  light- 
hearted  and  contented,  and  brimful  of  fun, 
kneeling  by  her  mother,  with  one  of  her 
mother's  hands  hugged  close  to  her  heart. 
At  Adele 's  entrance  she  looked  up  with 
tears  dropping  from  her  eyes,  and  said : 

"Oh,  Adele,  it  will  kill  me!  Her  poor 
hands  just  break  my  heart ! ' ' 

She  kissed  and  caressed  them  again  and 
again.  The  hands  which  were  once  white 


THe  Darkest  Hour  107 

and  tapering  were  now  brown  and  knotted 
with  toil. 

"It  will  kill  me!  It  will  kill  me!  Dear 
Lord,  take  everything  we  have,  and  let  us 
starve,  if  need  be,  but  spare  our  mother  to 
us,"  she  moaned. 

Adele  put  her  arms  about  her  and  took 
her  from  the  room. 

''Oh,  Isabel,  you  must  not  do  that  again. 
The  only  chance  for  our  mother's  life 
might  be  in  keeping  things  perfectly  quiet. 
You  must  not  give  way  to  your  feelings  be- 
fore her,"  spoke  Adele,  whose  own  heart 
was  so  full  it  was  near  to  bursting. 

"I  want  to  do  something  for  her,"  said 
Isabel ;  and  begged  to  be  allowed  to  go  back 
into  her  mother's  room.  Poor,  changed 
Isabel !  Once  so  full  of  laughter,  now  griev- 
ing her  life  away.  She  went  back  to  her 
mother's  bedside  and  watched  her  silently 
until  the  morning. 

But  after  despair  came  hope;  and  after 
the  darkest  hour,  the  dawn.  Mrs.  Hamil- 
ton awakened  and  recognized  her  girls.  She 
was  very  weak,  but  she  had  regained  her 
reason.  And  as  the  sun  burst  out  in  all  its 
splendor,  and  shot  its  beams  athwart  the 


108  Adele  Hamilton 

sick-room,  lighting  up  its  bare  walls,  which 
now  seemed  beautiful,  the  doctor  peeped  in 
to  see  his  patient.  He  looked  at  Mrs.  Ham- 
ilton, then  at  Adele. 

"The  doctor  didn't  do  it.  It  was  the 
nursing, ' '  he  said. 

"You  are  mistaken,  Doctor.  It  is  in  an- 
swer to  Isabel's  prayer,"  said  Adele  ear- 
nestly. 

"Give  your  mother  some  of  this  stimu- 
lant now,"  the  doctor  directed,  handing 
Adele  a  bottle  of  brandy.  "Be  careful 
about  the  nourishment,  and  she  will  get 
well,"  he  added. 

All  were  so  happy  that  each  tried  to  do 
something  for  her  mother ;  and  after  Mrs. 
Hamilton  began  to  improve  she  conva- 
lesced very  rapidly.  But  something  had 
evidently  gone  wrong  with  Elwood.  He  did 
not  come,  as  usual,  to  inquire  about  Mrs. 
Hamilton;  and  it  seemed  to  Adele  that  he 
tried  to  avoid  her,  as  she  saw  him  now  only 
at  a  distance.  More  than  once  she  had  seen 
Sally  Scrubby  walk  hastily  to  catch  up  with 
him;  and  then  they  would  walk  down  the 
street  together. 


CHAPTER   XII 

ADELE  HELPS  SAN  FRANCISCO 

WITHOUT  allowing  herself  any  rest,  after 
her  long  nursing  and  fatigue,  Adele  began 
to  make  preparations  to  return  to  her 
school.  Her  cheeks  had  lost  their  roses, 
and  there  was  a  continual  gnawing  at  her 
heart,  which  she  tried  hard  to  subdue.  Her 
pride  was  stung  through  and  through;  but 
she  determined  never  to  let  Elwood  know 
how  much  she  really  cared.  Then,  as  she 
remembered  his  many  kindnesses,  her  eyes 
would  fill  with  tears.  She  was  convinced 
that  something  had  wounded  him  deeply; 
and  she  would  resolve  to  unravel  the  mys- 
tery, then  her  pride  would  predominate 
and  her  resolution  would  weaken,  and  she 
would  feel  powerless  to  do  anything.  She 
told  herself  that  she  was  entirely  mistaken 
in  his  feelings  for  her ;  and  she  was  sure  he 

109 


110  Adele  flamilton 

was  not  the  man  to  do  any  act  that  would 
lower  him  in  her  estimation. 

' '  Though  it  is  all  such  a  mystery,  I  shall 
never  believe  anything  against  him,"  she 
would  say.  ' '  I  shall  always  believe  in  him, 
though  he  cuts  me  to  the  quick.  Some  day 
the  mystery  will  be  solved — all  will  be  ex- 
plained. But  the  hardest  part  to  bear  is, 
that  I  have  wounded  the  best  and  noblest 
man  in  the  world;  and  how  I  have  done  it 
I  can  not  imagine;  and  the  worst  of  it  is 
that  I  am  utterly  helpless — powerless  to  do 
anything. ' ' 

And  when  she  would  be  alone  she  would 
cry  out, '  *  Oh,  dearest  and  best  friend !  You 
are  the  last  one  on  earth  whom  I  would 
have  wounded."  Then  she  would  tell  her- 
self that  she  was  a  very  foolish  girl ;  and  if 
Elwood  had  really  cared  for  her  he  would 
have  taken  the  trouble  to  right  matters. 
She  admired  him  the  more  for  his  pride; 
but  love  must  be  still  stronger,  or  it  was 
not  worth  having.  So,  with  an  aching 
heart,  Adele  accepted  her  burden  bravely 
and  went  back  to  the  tiresome  routine  of 
the  schoolroom. 

It  might  have  been  a  delusion,  but  early 


Adele  Helps  San  Francisco        111 

one  Monday  morning,  as  Adele  was  driving 
away  to  her  school  in  the  country,  she  hap- 
pened to  glance  toward  the  King  House, 
across  the  street,  and  thought  she  saw  El- 
wood's  face  at  his  window,  watching  her. 
She  looked  the  second  time;  but  saw  in- 
stead only  the  lace  curtain  against  the  win- 
dow pane.  With  a  palpitating  heart  she 
drove  on,  without  looking  again  in  that  di- 
rection. So  the  days  dragged  heavily  for 
Adele  until  another  spring  had  come. 

It  was  April,  and  Adele 's  school  had 
closed  for  the  term,  and  she  had  come  home 
to  spend  her  vacation.  The  tall  eucalyptus 
nested  the  same  old  mocking-bird  of  two 
summers  ago,  with  another  family  of  young 
birds,  making  the  nights  sweet  with  mel- 
ody. The  orange  and  lemon  blossoms  sent 
forth  their  delicious  perfumes,  and  the  far 
distant  notes  of  meadow  larks  floated  on 
the  balmy  air  of  morning.  To  tired  Adele, 
who  swung  in  the  hammock  behind  the  fra- 
grant honeysuckle,  it  was  all  very  restful. 
The  click  of  the  front  gate  caused  her  to 
look  up,  and  she  saw  Dr.  David  Jones  come 
in.  She  knew  that  something  unusual  must 
have  happened,  for  he  walked  rapidly  and 


112  Adele  Hamilton 

appeared  much  excited.  So  she  met  him  at 
the  steps. 

"Earthquake !  child !  an  earthquake !  San 
Francisco  has  had  a  big  earthquake.  The 
city  is  on  fire  and  its  water  mains  broken 
so  they  can't  stop  it.  Everything's  going! 
Hundreds  killed  and  injured.  Awful  catas- 
trophe! awful!  five  telegrams  already," 
said  the  doctor  in  one  breath.  Without 
waiting  to  hear  more,  Adele  flew  into  the 
house  to  tell  the  news  to  her  mother  and 
sisters;  while  the  doctor  followed  close  at 
her  heels. 

*  *  They  need  help !  help  I  I  am  getting  old, 
but  my  days  of  usefulness  have  not  passed. 
I  start  up  to-night  with  a  carload  of  nurses 
and  medicine.  I  am  out  looking  for  volun- 
teers. I  want  women  with  nerve  and  en- 
durance, women  that  will  not  faint  away  at 
the  sight  of  blood.  I  am  looking  for  brave 
women.  Can't  you  go  with  us,  child?  You 
can  be  depended  on.  I  have  seen  your  nurs- 
ing before  now.  Those  poor  stricken  peo- 
ple need  you." 

For  an  instant  the  blood  seemed  to  leave 
Adele 's  face,  she  turned  so  deathly  pale. 
Then  she  was  her  old,  brave  self  again. 


Adele  Helps  San  Francisco        113 

"Yes,  I  will  go,  and  gladly,  Doctor,  if  I 
can  be  of  any  help." 

A  newsboy  came  by  shouting  extras.  Dr. 
David  Jones  hurried  away  on  his  mission 
of  mercy,  while  Adele  ransacked  the  trunks 
in  search  of  old  linen.  Everything  was  in 
a  state  of  excitement.  Adele  could  hear 
women  running  to  and  fro  through  the 
streets,  and  neighbors  were  talking  loudly. 
"Wagons  were  being  loaded  with  cooked 
provisions  and  taken  to  the  depot  for  im- 
mediate shipment  to  the  unfortunate  city. 
Subscriptions  were  being  taken  throughout 
the  town.  Merchants  furnished  goods ;  and 
the  blacksmith's  wife  and  wives  of  other 
laboring  men  met  with  the  wife  of  the 
mayor  and  wives  of  bankers  and  capital- 
ists, and  sewed  for  the  sufferers.  Capital 
and  labor  had  formed  a  union  at  last,  they 
united  to  help  suffering  humanity.  Mrs. 
Hamilton  converted  her  remaining  loaves 
of  bread  into  sandwiches,  and  baked  forty 
biscuits  to  go  with  the  first  carload.  Adele 
and  other  volunteers  reached  San  Francis- 
co early  Thursday  morning.  They  were 
greeted  by  the  massive  Ferry  tower  which 
was  still  standing;  and  they  could  look 


114  Adele  Hamilton 

clear  across  three  and  one-half  square 
miles  of  what  was,  a  few  hours  before,  a 
city.  The  fires  made  it  splendid  still,  in  its 
desolation ;  for  before  their  eyes  was  three- 
quarters  of  the  burnt-out  district  lit  up 
with  smouldering  flames,  with  here  and 
there  what  remained  of  massive  buildings 
blazing  fitfully;  while  to  the  right  were 
buildings  burning  fiercely.  On  the  left, 
miles  long,  was  the  great  fire  line  eating 
into  the  big  buildings,  and  throwing  its 
flames  skyward.  But  on  Friday  they  be- 
held only  prostrate  ruins  and  charred  stubs 
of  walls,  looking  up  to  Heaven  in  mute  ap- 
peal. The  city  was  under  martial  law;  and 
though  officers  and  men  were  patient  and 
painstaking,  they  were  firm  in  doing  their 
duty,  and  pressed  with  rigor  their  demands 
for  obedience.  One  man  who  had  given  evi- 
dence of  deepest  sorrow  over  the  death  of 
a  pretended  relative  bit  off  the  ears  of  the 
dead  woman  to  secure  her  costly  diamond 
ear-rings.  The  ghoul  was  promptly  shot 
on  the  very  spot  of  his  dastardly  act. 

This  vast  throng  of  homeless  ones  dis- 
played marvelous  cheerfulness,  patience, 
courtesy,  kindness  and  courage.  People 


Adele  Helps  San  Francisco        115 

were  wandering  about  trying  to  find  places 
for  the  night;  and  Adele  shuddered  when 
she  saw  two  well-born  ladies,  wrapped  in 
expensive  opera  cloaks,  coming  out  of  a 
cemetery  where  they  had  spent  the  night 
before,  with  a  grave  for  their  pillow,  walk- 
ing resignedly  on  to  find  a  place  of  refuge, 
a  haven  of  rest  in  Golden  Gate  Park,  or  the 
Presidio.  Exhausted  ones  were  sleeping  on 
doorsteps  or  anywhere  they  could  drop 
down,  soon  to  be  aroused  and  pushed  on  out 
of  reach  of  the  fast  consuming  fire.  The 
lofty  and  the  low  shared  alike,  from  the 
millionaire  to  the  "heathen  Chinee."  Ev- 
ery man  who  was  able  to  handle  a  spade 
was  required  to  assist  in  digging  trenches 
for  the  dead. 

Adele  joined  the  "Bed  Cross"  nurses 
and  found  sweet  Grace  Allen  and  other 
Berkeley  girls  were  already  there,  never 
swerving  from  the  path  of  duty;  but  were 
firm  at  their  posts  binding  up  wounds  and 
broken  limbs;  and  never  once  giving  a 
thought  to  self.  These  days  of  affliction 
brought  out  much  that  was  noble  in  human 
character.  North,  South,  East,  and  West 
poured  help  and  sympathy  into  the  doom- 


116  Adele  Hamilton 

ed  city.    Human  nature  meant  more  to 
Adele  than  it  had  ever  meant  before. 

On  Wednesday,  the  day  of  the  earth- 
quake, a  woman  had  been  rescued  from  a 
hotel,  the  foundation  of  which  had  caved 
in,  causing  the  building  to  be  pitched  into 
the  street.  The  woman  was  not  dead,  but 
was  fatally  injured.  The  doctor  hurried  to 
Adele  and  sent  her  to  the  patient,  who  was 
dying.  She  recognized  Adele;  and  Adele 
found  her  to  be  none  other  than  Sally 
Scrubby.  Adele  saw  that  she  wished  to 
tell  her  something ;  and  bending  close  to  her 
lips,  she  heard  her  say,  inarticulately,  "I 
wrote  it. ' '  Adele  did  not  comprehend,  and 
thought  that  the  woman  was  delirious ;  but 
she  repeated,  slowly  and  firmly,  "I  wrote 
it  to  him  and  signed  your  na — "  A  hard 
paroxysm  seized  her.  Adele  dipped  a  cloth 
into  water  to  moisten  her  lips;  but  the 
woman  had  passed  into  eternity.  Adele 
gently  closed  the  still  eyelids,  and  dropped 
tears  of  forgiveness  on  the  quiet  face.  Some 
one  touched  her  lightly  on  the  shoulder, 
and  turning  she  saw  Elwood,  who  offered 
his  arm  and  drew  her  away.  She  wondered 
if  he  had  heard  what  had  been  said,  but  he 


Adele  Helps  San  Francisco        117 

gave  no  sign  of  having  heard,  and  this  was 
no  time  to  think  of  one's  self.  There  were 
too  many  suffering  ones;  and  even  while 
these  thoughts  crowded  themselves  into  her 
brain,  there  was  the  doctor  beckoning  her 
to  another  patient. 

"You  here?"  she  had  said  to  Elwood, 
as  his  unexpected  presence  had  filled  her 
with  surprise.  He  had  answered: 

"Yes;  and  for  the  same  reason  that  you 
are  here.  And — and  to  watch  over  you," 
he  had  added  in  a  lower  tone.  They  were 
by  the  other  patient  now,  so  Elwood  went 
away  to  his  works  of  mercy,  leaving  in  the 
heart  of  Adele  a  deeper  love  for  him. 

"That  young  man,"  said  the  doctor, 
pointing  to  Elwood 's  retreating  figure, 
' '  has  just  rescued  from  some  of  the  ruins  a 
live  but  almost  starved  baby  in  the  arms  of 
its  dead  mother.  He  carried  the  little  thing 
as  tenderly  as  a  father  could  have  done; 
and  one  of  the  nurses  over  there  has  it  now, 
trying  to  revive  it." 

Adele  felt  that  the  compassionate  old 
doctor  was  watching  her  narrowly ;  and  she 
did  not  look  up,  though  her  thoughts  were 
thoughts  of  Elwood.  For  nothing  touches 


118  Adele  Hamilton 

the  heart  of  a  womanly  woman  as  does  the 
cry  of  a  tender,  helpless  babe. 

Seven  long,  weary  weeks,  and  Adele  re- 
turned home  to  her  mother  and  sisters. 
And  though  she  had  not  seen  Elwood  again 
before  her  departure  for  home,  she  knew 
that  he  was  still  caring  for  the  injured,  the 
dying,  and  the  dead ;  and  was  doing  what- 
soever his  willing  hands  found  to  do.  What 
a  noble  work — this  caring  for  suffering  hu- 
manity! And  Adele  recognized  still  fur- 
ther Elwood 's  true  worth  and  nobility  of 
character;  and  her  love  for  him  took 
deeper  root. 

The  summer  days  slipped  slowly  away 
until  the  cool,  delightful  autumn  breezes 
gently  shook  the  fig  trees,  scattering  their 
yellow  leaves  down.  The  walnuts  and  al- 
monds had  begun  to  fall.  Adele  patiently 
shouldered  her  burden,  and  went  back  to 
another  term  of  teaching  school.  El  wood's 
image  was  ever  present,  and  his  words,  "to 
watch  over  you,"  constituted  her  dearest 
comfort  in  the  long  days  which  were  before 
her. 

One  of  the  exercises  Adele  gave  her  pu- 


Adele  Helps  San  Francisco        119 

pils,  and  one  to  which  she  attached  great 
importance,  was  that  of  saluting  the  flag. 
The  children  soon  came  to  enjoy  this  thor- 
oughly, and  the  last  half  hour  of  school 
every  Friday  was  given  to  saluting  the 
"Stars  and  Stripes."  One  Friday  after- 
noon Adele  had  draped  the  long  fiag  pret- 
tily, and,  putting  it  in  the  hands  of  the 
youngest  pupils,  that  stood  on  the  high 
platform  erected  for  speaking,  she  had  the 
school  rise  and  step  into  the  aisles,  then 
give  the  salutation,  repeating  slowly  the 
impressive  words.  She  was  so  interested 
in  the  exercise  that  she  did  not  see  a  tall 
figure  darken  the  doorway  and  slip  into  the 
nearest  seat.  School  closed,  and  the  last 
child  bowed  himself  out. 

"You  are  patriotic  out  this  way,"  said  a 
familiar  voice;  and  Adele  looked  up  and 
saw  Edwin  Elwood  smiling  at  her.  She 
was  taken  greatly  by  surprise,  and  blushed 
deeply  as  he  continued : 

"I  see  you  are  laying  the  foundation  of 
good  citizenship,  Miss  Adele." 

He  held  out  his  hand  to  her  and  said  he 
had  come  to  take  her  home.  It  seemed  to 
Adele  that  he  had  aged  ten  years  since  she 


120  Adele  Hamilton 

had  seen  him  last,  and  she  knew  now  that 
he  had  sorrowed  with  the  sorrowing  and 
had  suffered  with  the  suffering  ones. 

The  day  was  a  bright  and  balmy  one  of 
December.  They  had  gone  but  a  short  dis- 
tance when  Elwood  took  a  note  from  his 
pocket  and  spread  it  before  Adele.  It  read : 

"Mr.  Elwood: 

"It  will  be  entirely  unnecessary  for  you 
to  come  here  again. 

"ADELE  HAMILTON." 

As  Adele  scanned  the  words,  Elwood 
said: 

"And  you  didn't  write  it?" 

"You  heard  what  she  said?"  Adele  ask- 
ed, remembering  the  words  of  the  dying 
woman. 

"Yes,  I  heard,"  he  answered,  "and  I 
have  wanted  to  talk  with  you  ever  since.  I 
have  something  for  you.  I  made  it  ex- 
pressly for  you  many  months  ago.  I  did 
not  give  it  to  you,  because  after  I  received 
the  note  my  pride  was  piqued." 

"And  you  must  have  thought  me  a  heart- 
less, ungrateful  wretch;  after  all  you  had 
done  for  us,  too,"  said  Adele. 


Adele  Helps  San  Francisco        121 

"No,  I  am  the  heartless  one  for  not  hav- 
ing shown  you  the  note  before,"  replied 
Elwood,  as  he  reached  under  the  buggy  seat 
and  drew  out  a  package  which  he  opened. 
It  was  a  beautiful  pen  drawing — a  bird  in 
its  nest,  and  her  mate  flying  toward  her 
with  food  in  his  bill.  It  was  exquisitely 
done,  and  was  entitled  "Home,  Sweet 
Home."  Every  stroke  had  to  stay  where 
it  was  put,  and  it  had  required  many  hours 
of  delicate  labor  to  make  it. 

"It  is  by  far  too  lovely  a  gift  for  me," 
said  Adele,  examining  it  admiringly ;  hold- 
ing it  near  and  then  farther  from  her. 

El  wood's  eyes  shone  and  his  tone  was 
very  tender  as  he  bent  nearer  and  asked : 

"Were  I  to  build  a  real  nest,  would  you 
be  the  little  wife  to  keep  it,  Adele  ?  I  have 
loved  you,  sweetheart,  since  the  day  I  first 
saw  you." 

Adele  made  no  answer,  save  that  her 
cheek  pressed  his  shoulder.  Elwood  put  his 
arm  about  her  and  drew  her  still  closer, 
and  kissed  her.  Now  that  they  understood 
each  other  they  were  very  happy. 

Elwood  became  a  frequent  visitor  at  the 
Hamilton  cottage.  Mrs.  Prye  whispered 


122  Adele  Hamilton 

around,  without  authority,  there  would  be 
a  quiet  wedding  in  the  little  church  on  the 
first  day  of  the  New  Year;  but  when  ques- 
tioned, Adele  was  reticent  on  the  subject. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

CHRISTMAS  EVE 

MARY  came  from  the  post-office  the  day 
before  Christmas  anl  found  her  mother  and 
sisters  seated  around  the  glowing  fire.  Rose 
had  just  finished  hanging  the  stockings  by 
the  chimney,  for  it  was  Christmas  Eve. 

"I  can  scarcely  realize  that  it  is  Christ- 
mas again,"  said  Mrs.  Hamilton  slowly. 

1  'Those  empty  stockings  hanging  there 
make  it  more  real,"  said  Adele,  laughing. 

Mary  handed  her  mother  a  newspaper, 
and  they  sat  down  to  supper. 

"This  is  an  old  paper;  but  stale  news  is 
better  than  none,"  Mrs.  Hamilton  remark- 
ed, as  her  eyes  ran  down  one  column  after 
another. 

"Surprise  of  surprises!  do  listen!"  she 
said. 

"  'Ventura,  Dec.  10. — Big  oil  strike.— 

123 


124  Adele  Hamilton 

Mr.  Peter  Work,  an  industrious  rancher, 
has  made  the  biggest  strike  in  oil  that  was 
ever  made  in  this  county.  A  few  weeks 
ago  Mr.  Work  was  a  poor  man,  to-day  he 
is  a  millionaire.  There  are  as  many  as  six 
gushers  on  his  little  ranch,  pouring  out 
thousands  of  dollars  a  day.'  : 

Suddenly  remembering,  Mary  bounced 
up  from  the  table ;  ran  her  hand  down  into 
her  pocket,  and  brought  up  a  letter,  which 
she  tossed  in  her  mother's  lap.  The  five 
girls  crowded  around  eagerly  and  tried  to 
see  the  postmark.  Mrs.  Hamilton  tore  open 
the  envelope  and  drew  out  two  slips  of  pa- 
per. One  was  a  cheque  for  fifty  thousand 
dollars;  on  the  other  were  scrawled  these 
words,  "A  rousin'  big  Krismus  to  them 
that  wasn't  too  good  to  save  a  pore  skrub 
like  me." 

"Krymony!"  ejaculated  Isabel,  unmind- 
ful of  her  slang.  "Fifty  thousand  dollars !" 

;<The  convict  did  it.  I  know  it,"  said 
Mary.  "Our  good  papa's  clothes  wrought 
the  change." 

Adele  held  the  slip  of  paper  close  to  the 
light,  and  appeared  to  read  it;  but  her  eyes 


Christmas  Eve  125 

were  so  full  of  tears  slie  could  not  see  a 
single  word.  Anna  was  sobbing  behind 
Rose.  Jolly  Isabel  sat  on  the  rug  with  her 
hand  before  her  eyes,  pretending  to  shield 
them  from  the  firelight;  but,  in  truth,  to 
hide  the  tears  which  rolled  over  her  cheeks 
and  dropped  through  her  thin  fingers. 

The  room  grew  strangely  still.  No  sound 
was  heard  save  the  tick  of  the  clock  and  the 
pop  of  the  fire.  The  quiet,  before  long,  was 
broken  by  a  slight  knock  at  the  front  door. 
Mrs.  Hamilton,  with  her  girls  about  her, 
opened  it.  An  old  woman  with  a  black, 
wrinkled  face,  and  a  faded  plaid  shawl 
around  her,  stepped  into  the  room.  Mrs. 
Hamilton  flew  into  her  arms ;  and  the  girls 
almost  smothered  her  with  kisses;  for 
Mammy  had  saved  enough  to  come,  and 
had  found  them  at  last. 


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